Stella was born to a middle-class family in Italy, in Muro Lucano , a village near Naples, but came to New York City in 1896 to study medicine. [1] However, he quickly abandoned his medical studies and turned instead to art, studying at the Art Students League and the New York School of Art under William Merritt Chase . His first paintings were Rembrandtesque depictions of city slum life. A remarkable draftsman, he made drawings throughout the various phases of his career, beginning as an academic realist with a particular interest in immigrant and ethnic life. From 1905 to 1909, he worked as an illustrator, publishing his realist drawings in magazines. "He prowled the streets, sketch pad and pencil in hand, alert to catch the pose of the moment, the detail of costume or manner that told the story of a life." [2] In 1908, he was commissioned for a series on industrial Pittsburgh, later published in T...
