Bernard Leemker was born in Groningen on 8 October 1899, he died in 1990 in The Hague. In The Hague he trained himself as a painter, illustrator, and commercial artist. Important subjects in his work were Spanish culture, billiard players, clowns, etc. Inspired by the painters Piet van der Hem and Willy Sluiter, he developed his own characteristic style. He also painted landscapes and riverscapes.