Willem Panneels

Willem Panneels was a Flemish engraver who was active in the first half of the 17th century. He is mainly known for the copies he made of drawings from the personal study of Rubens.

Very little is known about his personal life. He was born around 1600 probably in Antwerp. Until his arrival in Rubens' workshop in 1624-1625 no information about him is known. When he left Rubens' workshop in 1630, he traveled to Cologne, Baden and Frankfurt am Main. In 1631 he stayed in Mainz, where he worked for the prince-bishop Anselm Casimir Wambold von Umstadt. In 1632 he traveled on to Strasbourg and after that date the historical records are silent about him. It is assumed he died around 1634 in Baden-Baden.

The etchings of Panneels were often based on paintings or designs of Rubens. His own work is also heavily influenced by the style of Rubens. Only a few engravings are known from the period after he left Rubens' workshop. One of these works is the engraving entitled ''St George slays the dragon'. In these later works he continues to work in Rubens' style and based on his paintings. No paintings by him are known.

Text courtesy of Wikipedia, 2023