Jacques d'Agar (1640 – 1716) was a French portrait painter born in Paris. He was a scholar of Ferdinand Vouet, and began life as an historical painter, but he soon abandoned history for portraiture, in which branch of art he became very successful. In 1675 he was admitted into the Academy, and he became also painter in ordinary to the king and his court. Upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, Agar, as a Protestant, was shut out from the Academy. He accordingly left France in 1682—never to return.
He was invited to the court of Denmark, and was greatly patronized by King Christian V. The portrait of this painter, by himself, has found a place in the Florentine Gallery of Artists. It was painted, in 1693, by request of King Christian. Walpole tells us that he visited England, where he resided some time, and met with success. He painted the portraits of several of the nobility of Queen Anne's reign; among whom were the Duchess of Montagu, the Countesses of Rochfort and Sunderland, Thomas Earl of Strafford, and others. A portrait of Charles II of England, by him, is said to have been formerly in the Gallery at Christiansburg. He died in 1716 in Copenhagen.
This article incorporates text from the article "Agar, Jacques d'" in Bryan's Dictionary of Painters and Engravers by Michael Bryan, edited by Robert Edmund Graves and Sir Walter Armstrong, an 1886–1889 publication now in the public domain.