Born in
Dobreni,
Neamț County, Stahi attended school first in
Piatra Neamț (1850–1854) and then at the
Socola Monastery (1854–1857). In 1862 he entered the
National School of Fine Arts from
Iași, where he was taught by
Gheorghe Panaiteanu Bardasare and
Gheorghe Șiller. He continued his artistic education at the
Academy of Fine Arts in
Munich, where, from 1871 to 1878, he studied painting, metal gravure, and
xylography. Stahi painted still life paintings representing small objects that were surrounding him, such as old books, newspapers, religious items, chairs, shoes, plates, and especially fruits. Also, he painted many portraits of famous people of his time (for example
Gheorghe Asachi, painted in 1881). Many other of his paintings take inspiration from the simple life in the countryside in idyllic compositions and by painting peasants having as models people living in
Bavaria and
Moldavia regions. Beside his artistic career, he was a professor and, later on, the headmaster of the National School of Fine Arts in Iași between 1892 and 1902, following Gheorghe Panaiteanu Bardasare. One of his students there was
Octav Băncilă. He died in his house on Bărboi street in Iași on 18 June 1920 and was interred at the city's
Eternitatea Cemetery. ==Gallery==