Joseph Stella arrived in New York City from Naples, Italy, at the age of nineteen to begin his studies in medicine, within two years he had put himself under the tutelage of William Merritt Chase at the New York School of Art Like Chase, Stella took New York City scenes as his subjects But Stella moved away from his teacher in the type of scenes he would create Stella chose as his canvas New York's Lower East Side, the home of recent immigrants, rather than sunny Long Island or stylish Central Park He became a magazine illustrator in 1905 and for the next several years produced strong, realistic pencil portraits as well as Whistleresque cityscapes Working for Outlook and Survey magazines, Stella drew immigrants at Ellis Island, coal miners in West Virginia, steelworkers in Pittsburgh, and crowds at Coney Island...