Born in 1625 in Emden, a son of Robbert Muller, who was still living in Emden in 1655. Stylistic features would indicate that his teacher was either Cornelis van Poelenburgh (ca. 1593-1667) or Dirck Stoop (1610-1686) in Utrecht. His earliest dated painting, 'Diana and Nymphs' (formerly Stockholm, Rappe Collection), was done in 1645. On 1 April 1655 he married Elizabeth van Doorn in Utrecht. The couple had a son, Robbert, baptised on 4 March 1656 and a daughter, Elisabeth, baptised on 12 December 1660. Utrecht documents from 20 November 1655 and 1661 list Muller's profession as 'constschilder' (fine artist as opposed to house painter). In 1668 he painted a commemorative panel for the blacksmiths' guild (Utrecht, Sint Eloyengasthuis). On 3 February 1673 he was buried in Utrecht, shortly after he had fled from the French occupation. About a dozen paintings by Jacques Muller are known, some only from old descriptions, that show him to have been highly versatile: portraits, Italianised landscapes, grotto images, allegories, horsemen in combat, and the above-mentioned commemorative panel. His work resembles that of the Utrecht painter Abraham van Cuylenborch (ca. 1620-1658) in addition to that of Poelenburg and Stoop.
