Petrus van Schendel (1806-1870) was a Dutch-Belgian genre painter in the Romantic style who specialized in nighttime scenes, lit by lamps or candles.

On the advice of a family friend, who was a retired army officer, his father sent him to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.

He studied there from 1822 to 1828 with the history painter Mattheus Ignatius van Bree, and received a gold medal for "Perspective" upon graduating.

He made a name as a portrait painter and moved frequently, living in Breda (1828-1829), Amsterdam (1830-1832), Rotterdam (1832-1838), and The Hague (1838-1845).

In addition to his art, he was interested in the mechanics of steam engines and, in 1841, patented a device for improving the blades on steamships.