He was born in Delft, the son of Maerten Mijtens, an art dealer and saddler from Brussels (–1628), and Anneken Tyckmakers (died 1611). He was born into a family of artists and trained in The Hague, possibly in the studio of Van Mierevelt. He was the nephew of the painter Aert Mijtens,Aert Mijtens in the RKD the older brother of the painter Isaac Mijtens, and the father of the painter Daniel Mijtens the Younger.Daniel Mijtens in the RKD No known work survives from his first Dutch period.Murray, P. & L. (1996). Dictionary of art and artists (p. 364). London: Penguin Books. .
