• He was born in Haarlem, the son of a Catholic art dealer also named Jan Wijnants.
• After his mother's death, his father remarried Maria Jans van Stralen, widow of Jasper Jaspersz van Heemskerck, and mother of the painter
Egbert Jaspersz van Heemskerck, making Wijnants and Van Heemskerck stepbrothers.
• Wijnants was active in Haarlem until 1660, after which he moved to Amsterdam.
• Wijnants is primarily known for his Italianate landscapes and paintings featuring topography.