Background
Van Bloemen was born in Antwerp.
Van Bloemen was born in Antwerp.
He was a gifted landscape and animal painter and was very successful with his compositions depicting equestrian, animal and market scenes. He was a pupil of Simon Johannes van Douw, according to some historians already from the age of 10. He became a master of the local Guild of Saint Luke in 1674 at the age of 17.
He had two younger brothers who were also painters: January Frans and Norbert.
At some point he travelled to Rome. This possibly happened in the year 1674 or later in the year 1689.
He was in 1684 in Lyon in the company of the Dutch painters Adriaen van der Cabel and of Gillis Weenix. Via Turin, Pieter and January Frans travelled on to Rome where in 1688 they were registered in the parish of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte.
In 1690 their third painting brother Norbert joined them in Rome as well.
Pieter and January Frans made a few trips to Naples, Sicily and Malta. Pieter and January Frans also collaborated on works, with Pieter taking on the role of figure painter and January Frans painting the landscape (vedute). lieutenant was common practice in the Bentvueghels to give each member a nickname, the so-called "bent name".
Pieter"s bent name was "Standaart" or in Italian "Standardo".
lieutenant is believed he was given this nickname in reference to the standards and banners that he regularly painted in his military subjects. Pieter returned to Antwerp in 1694 and Norbert left for Amsterdam before 1724, while January Frans remained in Rome for the rest of his life.
Pieter became dean of the Guild of Saint Luke of Antwerp in 1699. He died in Antwerp.
Bentvueghels; Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke]
Pieter became a member of the Bentvueghels, an association of mainly Dutch and Flemish artists active in Rome.