A Life in Amsterdam The life of Juriaen Pool began in the shadows of the Amsterdam orphanage, known as the Burgerweeshuis. Having lost his parents by the age of three, he grew up within the walls of this institution, where he was eventually permitted to train as a painter. His father, Jurriaan Pool the elder, had been a silversmith from Silesia, leaving behind a name that carried traces of Polish roots. In 1693, his path became closely entwined with Rachel Ruysch. Their marriage in Buiksloot brought him into a circle of scientific and cultural significance, as Rachel was the daughter of the a…