A Life in Moonlight Jacobus Theodorus Abels emerged from an Amsterdam merchant family, a background that provided the stability for a life dedicated to the quiet observation of light and shadow. Born in 1803, his early education took him to a boarding school in Hilversum, where he first encountered the presence of artists like B.C. Koekkoek. These early encounters planted the seeds for a career defined by the atmospheric nuances of the…