A Life of Law and Line Groningen, 1812. A child is born into the Dutch nobility, the son of a high-ranking judicial official and a woman of standing. This is Wolter Gockinga. His path seems carved by the weight of tradition and the rigor of the law. By 1837, he has secured his doctorate in law in his birthplace, a milestone that suggests a life spent in courtrooms and legal manuscripts rather than the studio. Yet, the brush had already…