 Ovens was born and grew up in Tönning, Duchy of Schleswig, the son of Frisian farmer and alderman Ove Broders and Agneta Ovens (also called Broders).Although that duchy was formally a Danish fief, Ovens is often counted among German painters.Since 1640 he worked for Hendrick van Uylenburgh with Govaert Flinck in the Sint Antoniesbreestraat.