Stanley Morel Cosgrove, born in Montreal in 1911, was a Canadian painter, muralist and draughtsman. He studied at the "École des beaux-arts de Montreal" from 1928 to 1935, and the Art Association of Montreal in 1936, where he took figure painting under Edwin Holgate.
He enjoyed the rare honor of being invited to exhibit, at the Provincial Museum of Quebec in 1939, despite still being a student. The same year, Cosgrove received a scholarship from the province of Quebec with the intention of studying in France. However, the outbreak of the Second World War delayed his plans and he traveled to New York instead.
After two months, he moved to Mexico with his wife where he studied at the "Academia Nacional de San Carlos" in 1940 and took an interest in fresco painting. He worked on a fresco for the "Hospital de Jesus Nazareno" with his mentor, Jose Clemente Orozco. It was in Mexico that Cosgrove developed a newfound sense of assurance in his artwork, that which would carry him into the next phase of his career.
Upon his return to Canada in 1944, Cosgrove concentrated on his still life and experimented with color and form. In 1951, Cosgrove became a member of the Canadian Group of Painters. From 1953 onward, Cosgrove worked in the field of textile designing, Canadian modern fresco painting and became a professor at the "École des beaux-arts" from 1944 to 1958. He is currently represented at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Canada, among others.
Throughout his artistic journey, Cosgrove explored three principle subjects: forests, women and still life. He placed a strong emphasis on formal relationships through the use of simplified forms and a limited palette.
