CARSTENS, ARMUS JACOB German por trait and historical painter, was born in Schleswig, and in 1776 went to Copenhagen to study. In 1783 he went to Italy, where he was much impressed by the work of Giulio Romano. He settled in Lubeck, but visited Rome again in 1792. His fine subject and historical paintings, e.g., "Plato's Symposium" and the "Battle of Rossbach" made him famous. He was appointed professor at Berlin, and in 1795 a great exhibition of his works was held in Rome, where he died in 1798. Carstens ranks as a leader of the later school of German historical painting.