Petrus van Schendel was born in Terheyden, North Brabant on April 21st, 1806. He was a pupil at the Antwerp Academy between 1822 and 1828, studying under Van Bree. He first settled in Amsterdam and then went to Rotterdam, where he made himself a reputation as a portrait painter. Later he moved to The Hague and in 1845 to Brussels where he remained until 1870.
It was in Brussels that he became famous for his night market scenes, which he painted by candle, lamps or torch light to create dramatic effects with shadow.
Schendel also travelled throughout Europe. He won medals in Amsterdam and Brussels in 1845 and in Paris in 1844 and 1847.