Adriaen Backer

Adriaen Backer
Birth name Adriaen Backer
Born 1635/36
Amsterdam
Died November 1684 (aged 1678–1679)
Amsterdam
Nationality Netherlands
Field Painting
Movement Baroque

Adriaen Backer (ca 1635 — 1684) was a Dutch Golden Age portrait painter who was a nephew of Jacob Adriaensz Backer, active in Amsterdam and Haarlem.

Biography

Backer was born in Amsterdam and probably learned to paint from his uncle Jacob Adriaensz Backer.[1] According to Houbraken his Last Judgement hanging in the court room (vierschaar) of the Amsterdam City Hall (now called the Amsterdam Royal Palace) was one of his best works. He traveled in 1666 to Italy with Dirck Ferreris.

He produced several group portraits of Hofje regents as well as historical allegories for city commissions, and married Elsje Colyn on August 27, 1669.[2] His friend Gerard Brandt wrote a poem in honor of his wedding. Christoffel Lubienitski was his pupil and learned to paint portraits from him.[2]

References

  1. ^ (Dutch) Adriaan Bakker biography in De groote schouburgh der Nederlantsche konstschilders en schilderessen (1718) by Arnold Houbraken, courtesy of the Digital library for Dutch literature
  2. ^ a b RKD entry on Adriaen Backer