A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF
known by his portrait of Sir Stephen Fox, engraved
by Jean Simon.
BAKER, John, an English painter of flowers and fruit, born about the year 1736, was, in early life, a painter of heraldic ornaments for coaches. Afterwards he distinguished himself by the brilliancy of his groups of flowers which he contributed to the Spring Gardens Exhibition. He was one of the original members of the Royal Academy of Arts, where there is a very creditable specimen of his talents. He died in 1771.
BAKER, Joseph, in early life an actor, is mentioned by Walpole as a painter of the interiors of churches, both in England and Rome. A view of the interior of St. Paul's, by him, was sold at the sale of Sir Mark Sykes's pictures. He also drew York and Lincoln Cathedrals, which were engraved by Vivares. He died in 1770.
BAKER, Thomas, who was born in 1809, and died in 1869, practised the art of landscape painting in water-colour in the midland counties with success. He was known as ' Baker of Leamington.'
BAKEREEL. See Backereel.
BAKHUISEN, Ludolf, (or Backhuysen,) a celebrated painter of sea-pieces and storms, was born at Emden in 1631. He was of a respectable family, and was intended by his parents for a mercantile profession, for which purpose he was sent to Amsterdam. His time was, however, more occupied in the society of the painters than in the counting-house, and he at length became a pupil of Aldert van Everdingen, under whom he remained some time. He also studied, it is said, under Hendrik Dubbels. His fondness for shipping led him frequently to the port of Amsterdam, where he made drawings of the different vessels. These designs were admirably executed with a pen, and were eagerly sought after by collectors, who purchased them at liberal prices. This encouragement induced him to attempt the representation of similar objects in painting. His first essays were successful, and his pictures were universally admired. He frequently exposed himself to the greatest danger, by hiring fishermen to take him out to sea in the most tempestuous weather, to observe the forms of the waves mount- ing to the clouds and dashing against the rocks ; and he has represented these scenes with a fidelity that intimidates the beholder. His pictures of these subjects, though rather dark in colouring, have raised his reputation even higher than that of W. van de Velde, although the works of the latter, which represent the sea when calm, or in light breezes, are much superior. In the latter part of his life Bakhuisen amused himself with etching some plates of views of shipping on the Y, a small arm of the sea upon which Amsterdam is situated. He died at Amsterdam in 1708. Bakhuisen is said to have given instniction in drawing to Peter the Great, when that monarch was studying at Saar- dam. He also practised the art of engraving, and has left several plates of marine views, and his own portrait. His most celebrated works are :
Amsterdam. Museum. Embarkation of Jan de 'Witt on the Dutch fleet.
„ „ Fort of Amsterdam (signed and dated 1673). „ „ The Zuider Zee (rigtud and dated 1694), and others. Berlin. Museum, Stormy Sea on a Rocky Coast. „ „ Slightly Troubled Sea (signed and dated 1664). Brasaels. Museum. The Tempest. 72 Copeahagen. Gallery. Sea-pieces and others. Dulwich. Gallery. Boats ia a storm (signed and dated 1696). Florence. Fitti Pal. A Rough Sea (dated 1669). Frankfort. Stddel. View on the Y (signed and dated 1700). Hague. Gallery. Disembarkation of William III. of England in I'Oranje- Polder (signed and dated 1692). „ „ Entrance of a Dutch port (signed and dated 1693). „ „ View of the Building Yard of the East India Company at Amsterdam (signed and dated 1696). Loudon. Sat. Gall. Dutch Shipping (signed and dated 1683). „ „ iSVx other Sea-pieces. Paris. Louvre. Dutch Squadrou (dated 1675). „ ,, Four other Sea-pieces. Petersbrg.fi'tfr?^ itage. A Shipwreck. ,, ,, Portrait of an old man. Vienna. Gallery. Port of Amsterdam. 1674. „ „ Two others.
BAKHUISEN, Ludolf, nephew of the great marine painter, was bom at Amsterdam in 1717, and died at Rotterdam in 1782. He was a good painter of horses and battles. His brother Gebbit Bakhuisen practised portrait-painting as an ama- teur. He lived at Rotterdam, where lie had a tile- kiln, to which after his death his brother Ludolf succeeded.
BAKKARELL. See Backekeel.
BARKER. See Backer.
BAL, CoRNELis Joseph, who was born in Ant- werp in 1820, first studied in the Academy there, and then went to Paris and formed his style under AchiUe Martinet. In 1848 he won the ' Prix de Rome,' and improved his knowledge of art by travelling in Italy and elsewhere. On his return to Paris he made himself famous by his engrav- ing of Gallait's ' Temptation of St. Anthony.' On the death of Corr, in 1862, he was summoned to Antwerp to fill the vacant post of professor to the Academy. He died in his native city in 1867. Bal received several medals and the order of Leopold. The following are his principal engravings :
La Belle Jardiniere ; after Raphael 1856. The Montenegrin Woman and her Child ; after Czermak. The Temptation of St. Anthony ; after Gallait. Jeanne la foUe ; after the same. The Abdication of Charles V. ; after the same (left unfinished a Bal's death).
BALASSI, Mario, was bom at Florence in 1604. He was first a scholar of Jacopo Ligozzi, and after the death of that master he studied success- ively under Rosselli and Domenico Passignano, the latter of whom he assisted in the works he executed at Rome by order of Pope Urban VIII. He copied the ' Transfiguration ' of Raphael, for Prince Taddeo Barberini, who placed it in the Capuchin church at Rome, where it is still to be seen. He afterwards accompanied Prince Ottavio Piccolomini to Vienna, where he painted the por- trait of the Emperor Ferdinand III. On his return to Italy he worked in Prato, Florence, and Empoli. For the church of Sant' Agostino, in Prato, he painted a picture of ' St. Nicholas of Tolentino,' one of his best works, and for the Society of the Stigmata in Florence, one of 'St. Francis.' In the Vienna Gallery there is a ' Madonna and Child ' by him, painted on stone. He died in 1667.
BALDACCI, Mabia Maddalena, a Florentine painter, was born at Florence in 1718, and died there in 1782. She executed miniatures and crayon
