Designed in a Spanish Baroque and Art Deco style by the architectural firm Ritter and Shay, the Drake was constructed as a luxury hotel in 1929. It stands 33-stories high and was once the tallest building in Philadelphia. The façade is adorned with patterns of parallel lines, zigzags, chevrons, terracotta, glass, smooth brick, and stone. The building’s Spanish Baroque ornamentation is based on themes related to Sir Francis Drake, with terracotta motifs featuring dolphins, shells, sailing vessels, and ornaments. These cover the ground floor and reappear on the piers, which rise to an elaborate series of cornices culminating in huge terraces and a distinctive terracotta dome. The setbacks on the upper floors provide a tapered silhouette adding a striking feature to the city’s skyline. In 1998, the Drake was extensively renovated and converted to luxury apartments. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Unless noted, all paintings are gallery wrapped. The canvas wraps around the sides of the 3/4″ deep wooden stretcher bars and is secured to the back with staples. No staples are visible and the sides are unpainted.

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