BACKER, or BAKKER, JAQUES, a painter of history, was born at Antwerp in 1530; and learned the principles of painting from his father, who was an artist very knowing in his profession, though his works were in no great estimation. After the death of his father, he lived in the house of Jacopo Palermo, a dealer in pictures, who avariciously took care to keep him incessantly employed, and sent his paintings to Paris to be disposed of, where they happened to be exceedingly admired. The judicious were very eager to purchase them; and though the transactor sold them at a great price, yet the poor artist was not proportionally rewarded, but continued in the same obscure and depressed condition. His merit, indeed, was universally allowed; but his name, and the narrowness of his circumstances, were as universally unknown. He had a clean light manner of penciling, and a tint of colour that was extremely agreeable.—He died in 1560.