A Life in Shadows and Light Joost van Geel lived a life that moved between the quiet commerce of Rotterdam and the broader artistic circles of Europe. Born in 1631, he was the son of a brandy distiller from Schiedam, yet his path led him far from the distillery to the easel. He was a man of varied pursuits, working as a vinegar merchant and a poet alongside his practice as a painter. His travels took him through Leiden, Germany, France, and London, before he eventually returned to his roots in Rotterdam after 1666. The records of his life are sparse, often obscured by the very nature of his w…