Frédéric Back was born in1924 on the outskirts of Sarrebrücken, in the Sarre region that was then part of France. He studied lithography in the Ecole Estienne in Paris in 1938. Because of the war, the school was relocated in Angers. Frédéric Back then joined the Beaux-arts in Rennes.
Frédéric Back emigrated in Canada in 1948. He was a teacher in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Montréal, then joined Radio Canada in the graphics department. He won the Academy Award for his short film Crac, and 5 years later for his short film L'homme qui plantait des arbres. He was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1989.
Frederick Back's piece is a beautiful double-page painting, illustrating the aquatic world. He explored a theme very important to him : animal rights.