Flemish painter, son of Jan Molenaer (who is not to be confused with the homonymous Dutch genre painter). He was the pupil of his father and Sebastian Vrancx. He joined the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1631 His early works are influenced by Vrancx, although his colouring stands closer to Pieter Snayers, also a former pupil of Vrancx. After 1645 his colouring became clearer, as he fell under the influence of Dutch battle scene painters, such as Pieter de Neyn (1597-1639), Jan Jacobsz. van der Stoffe and Abraham van der Hoeff (1613-1649), but especially of Palamedes Palamedesz., in so far that their works can be confused. //