 The younger Toorenvliet first studied art with Frans van Mieris the Elder and Matthijs Naiveu, who were also studying with his father, a respected drawing teacher.Later, like his fellow students, he studied with Gerrit Dou, his father's brother-in-law, until 1659, when he started on his Grand Tour.Torenvliet was active in a number of different cities throughout his career, mainly in Italy and the Netherlands.