All Beuckelaer's surviving output keeps to the same style and subject matter, with large figures in interiors or at market. These pictures were so influential on 17th century Netherlandish painting that they now seem familiar even though they were innovative at the time. Although sometimes derived from the artist's master Pieter Aertsen, Beuckelaer's originality is obvious in the freshness and directness of his treatment of everything from fish and vegetables to the tiny (and often significant) figures in his background. Beuckelaer was enrolled in the Antwerp Guild in 1560 and is recorded as having had a pupil in 1573. Van Mander, writing in 1604, praised Beuckelaer for his ability to depict birds and fish but also remarked that the artist received relatively low payment for his work. It is only since the beginning of the 20th century that his importance in the development of 16th century painting has been recognised.