The Shadow of the Master Maidstone, United Kingdom, provides the setting for the beginning of a life defined by the brush and the patronage of the elite. Born the son of a clergyman, William Reader enters the world of art through the disciplined guidance of Gerard Soest. This apprenticeship shapes his hand, grounding his technique in the traditions of the era. He moves through the social strata of the late seventeenth century, finding himself under the protection of a wealthy nobleman in the west of England. This connection provides the stability necessary for a developing painter to find his…