The Salt and the Grey In the narrow streets of Amsterdam, where the water meets the stone, Claes Claesz. Wou lived a life tied to the movement of the tides. Born in 1592, he was a man of the city, moving from the quiet outskirts of Buitenveldert to the bustling Prinsengracht near the Laurierstraat. He was more than a painter; he held the position of a waard in 't Groene Woudt, a role that suggests a life deeply embedded in the local community. There was a certain social weight to his presence, though perhaps not a financial one. At the time of his death in 1665, he left behind many debts owed…