Nico Baak was trained at the Rijksacademie in Amsterdam between 1913 and 1920, where he won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1919. His painted work is diverse: landscapes, portraits, townscapes and figures. He also worked as a book illustrator and graphic designer. He designed various posters for the Verkade factories. Nico Baak has traveled a lot. He was a member of St. Lucas in Amsterdam and from 1942 teacher of painting at the Hague Academy.