Biography

Flemish painter. He was 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 his mother's name.

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. In 1693 he married Francisca de Hemelaer, and through his marriage he was the brother-in-law of Erasmus Quellinus II. Quellinus drew Van Thielens's portrait that was engraved by Richard Collin (c. 1626-c. 1697) 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 painted flower pieces as well as garland paintings with dates ranging from 1646 to 1667. Van Thielen and his wife had 9 children. Three of his daughters became flower painters: Maria Theresa (1640-1706), Anna-Maria (b. 1641) and Francisca-Catherina (b. 1645).