The Architect of Light and Shadow Born in Hempstead, New York, in 1853, William Turner Dannat was a man of diverse inclinations who eventually found his true calling through the brush. His early education was shaped by a departure from his homeland; at twelve, he was sent to Germany, where he initially pursued the structured discipline of architecture in Hanover and Stuttgart. This foundation in spatial design and structure would later inform the precision of his draughtsmanship. However, the rigid lines of architecture gave way to the fluid possibilities of fine art. He sought instruction a…