 He was the brother of Pieter Steenwijck, also a still-life painter, whose father Evert sent them to learn painting from their uncle David Bailly in Leiden.David Bailly influenced Steenwyck to paint his first work "Vanitas"

Harmen became active as a painter in Leiden between 1628 and 1633.He moved back to Delft from 1633 to 1656.