Pauwels Casteels

Casteels was a versatile painter who painted cavalry battles and scenes with mythological, historical and biblical stories.^[2] His historical and mythological scenes often depicted bacchanalia and sea triumphs. He usually painted on large canvases. His works have at times been attributed to other Flemish painters, such as Jan Cossiers, Simon de Vos and Cornelis de Vos.^[5]

His battle scenes were very popular in Central Europe and one example is in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.^[4][6] These scenes were influenced by fellow Flemish battle painters Pieter Snayers and Pieter Meulener, of whom he adopted the colour palette.^[5] His battle scenes are often crowded compositions with many figures engaged in frenzied battle. The figures in these compositions are individualised thus luring the viewer into the details of the scene.^[7]

Due to the stylistic similarities, some of his battle paintings may have been attributed to fellow Antwerp battle painter Alexander Casteels the Elder.^[8]

• Media related to Pauwels Casteels at Wikimedia Commons