Van Thielen was born in Mechelen as the son of a minor nobleman by the name of Liebrecht van Thielen. Jan Philip would eventually assume his father's title of Lord of Couwenberch. His mother was Anna Rigouts or Rigouldts. He signed some of his paintings with the names of Couwenberg and Rigouldts in his signature, to point to his noble status. He left his native Mechelen for
Antwerp where in 1631 or 1632 he started his training as a painter with his brother-in-law
Theodoor Rombouts who had married his sister Anna in 1627. Rombouts was a leading history and genre painter who had studied in Italy where he had become a follower of
Caravaggio. Theodoor Rombouts was a prominent history painter who had married Jan Philip's sister Anna in 1627. In 1639 van Thielen married Francisca de Hemelaer with whom he had 9 children. Quellinus drew van Thielens' portrait that was engraved by
Richard Collin for
Cornelis de Bie's book of artist biographies
Het Gulden Cabinet. Because he liked flower painting he changed masters in 1641 and began training with
Daniel Seghers, the leading flower painter in Flanders. He became a master in the Antwerp
Guild of Saint Luke in 1641. In 1660 he moved with his family to his hometown Mechelen where he became a master in the local Guild of Saint Luke the next year. Van Thielen was the teacher of his daughters and also taught a certain N. Bainville in Mechelen. He died in 1667 in
Booischot. ==Work==