The Versatile Polymath of Rotterdam Jacob Lois was a man of immense variety, a figure whose life in the Dutch Republic was defined by a wide array of professional pursuits. While he was a painter, he was equally known as a historian, architect, etcher, and graphic artist. His interests extended into the realms of commerce and industry; he worked as a merchant and a manufacturer, specifically as a blue dyer. In a notable feat of innovat…