Stan Masters
Encyclopedia
Stan Masters was an American
realist painter from the St. Louis
suburb of Kirkwood
, Missouri
.
in the one-room Missouri Pacific Railroad
section house located between the railroad tracks in downtown Kirkwood, his home had no running water or electricity. Trains passed within 6 feet of the porch.
After the United States
' entrance into World War II
, Masters left Kirkwood for the Army in 1942. After being stationed in Pennsylvania
, he served combat duty in Italy in 1944 and 1945. After the war, Masters applied to art schools in 1946. Rejected by schools in St. Louis, he returned to Pennsylvania to attend the Dauphin School of Fine Arts in Philadelphia on the GI Bill.
Masters returned to St. Louis in 1948 where he spent the next 20 years working in commercial art at various advertising agencies. In 1962, Masters made a short film called The Storm, which won five awards from the Photographic Society of America
and also won at the Cannes Film Festival
in the Amateur Division in 1963.
In 1970, Masters decided to devote his career entirely to his art. By 1971, he had committed himself exclusively to watercolor
. Despite favorable reviews from critics, and having won both local and national awards, Masters' watercolors did not sell well in his lifetime. Perhaps discouraged by the commercial market, Masters retreated to the solitude of his studio at his home in Maplewood
, Missouri. Much of his portfolio was later discovered in his studio, unseen by others, after his death in 2005.
, Andrew Wyeth
, and Edward Hopper
. His paintings characteristically portrayed the familiar themes of railroads, cityscapes, and rural imagery which were emblematic of his hard scrabble Missouri childhood. Masters' works posess an endowment of profound calm, and their loneliness seems to guide the viewer to consider what is happening outside of the picture.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
realist painter from the St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
suburb of Kirkwood
Kirkwood, Missouri
Kirkwood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,540. Founded in 1853, the city is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, builder of the Pacific Railroad through that town. It was the first planned suburb located west...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Life of Stan Masters
Masters was the son and grandson of railroad workers. Raised during the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the one-room Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
section house located between the railroad tracks in downtown Kirkwood, his home had no running water or electricity. Trains passed within 6 feet of the porch.
After the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' entrance into World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Masters left Kirkwood for the Army in 1942. After being stationed in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, he served combat duty in Italy in 1944 and 1945. After the war, Masters applied to art schools in 1946. Rejected by schools in St. Louis, he returned to Pennsylvania to attend the Dauphin School of Fine Arts in Philadelphia on the GI Bill.
Masters returned to St. Louis in 1948 where he spent the next 20 years working in commercial art at various advertising agencies. In 1962, Masters made a short film called The Storm, which won five awards from the Photographic Society of America
Photographic Society of America
The Photographic Society of America is one of the largest, non-profit organization of its kind. Despite its name it is an International organisation open to anyone with an interest in photography. Established in 1934, it has expanded to include members of over 70 countries. The Society includes...
and also won at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in the Amateur Division in 1963.
In 1970, Masters decided to devote his career entirely to his art. By 1971, he had committed himself exclusively to watercolor
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
. Despite favorable reviews from critics, and having won both local and national awards, Masters' watercolors did not sell well in his lifetime. Perhaps discouraged by the commercial market, Masters retreated to the solitude of his studio at his home in Maplewood
Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County. The population was 8,046 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Maplewood is located at ....
, Missouri. Much of his portfolio was later discovered in his studio, unseen by others, after his death in 2005.
Art of Stan Masters
Masters studied, and was influenced by, the works of Winslow HomerWinslow Homer
Winslow Homer was an American landscape painter and printmaker, best known for his marine subjects. He is considered one of the foremost painters in 19th century America and a preeminent figure in American art....
, Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Newell Wyeth was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century....
, and Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper was a prominent American realist painter and printmaker. While most popularly known for his oil paintings, he was equally proficient as a watercolorist and printmaker in etching...
. His paintings characteristically portrayed the familiar themes of railroads, cityscapes, and rural imagery which were emblematic of his hard scrabble Missouri childhood. Masters' works posess an endowment of profound calm, and their loneliness seems to guide the viewer to consider what is happening outside of the picture.