Background
Backer was the son of the Mennonite Tjerk Adriaensz and the Remonstrant Marritje Dootshooft. He was born in Amsterdam.
Backer was the son of the Mennonite Tjerk Adriaensz and the Remonstrant Marritje Dootshooft. He was born in Amsterdam.
His baptizing is not registered, letting South.A.C. Dudok van Heel suggest that he was born before 1633., though Adriaen professed to be 33 at his wedding in 1669. In 1666 he traveled to Italy with Dirck Ferreris. Backer lived on Spui, behind Begijnhof, Amsterdam.
Christoffel Lubienitski was his pupil and learned to paint portraits from him.
Backer produced several group portraits of Hofje regents as well as historical allegories for city commissions. 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.
