Jacob Adriaensz Backer

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The Hearing by Jacob Backer (1635), oil painting, Magyar Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, Budapest

Jacob Adriaensz Backer (Harlingen, 1609 - Amsterdam, Aug 27, 1651) was a Dutch painter.

Backer was born in Harlingen, but his family moved soon (in 1611) to Amsterdam. Between 1627 and 1633 he and Govert Flinck were pupils of Lambert Jacobsz in Leeuwarden. In 1633 he returned to Amsterdam, where he remained until his death.

His extreme quickness in painting portraits has been particularly noticed, and it is said that he completely finished, in one day, the half length portrait of a lady in full dress, even so early, that she was able to return the same day to Haarlem. A Sleeping Shepherdess is considered his best picture.

[edit] References

Rose, Hugh James [1853] (1857). A New General Biographical Dictionary, London: B. Fellowes et al.