Hans Hansen

Hans Hansen (22 February 1769 – 11 February 1828) was a Danish painter who specialised in portrait painting. He is best known for his portraits of the Mozart family, painted during his second stay in Vienna: Constanze Mozart and a double portrait of her sons, Karl Thomas and Franz Xaver, which are currently on display in Salzburg.

Biography Hansen was born at Skelby in Næstved Municipality, Denmark. Hansen's father worked in the War Chancellery and later became a farm manager. When he displayed some artistic ability, he won the support of Carl Adolph von Plessen, a court chamberlain, which enabled him to enroll at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. While there, he won silver medals in 1789 and 1791. According to his diaries from this period, he took Jens Juel as his model.

After returning to Copenhagen, he became a candidate for membership in the Royal Academy and a full member in 1809. His attempts to become a Professor were unsuccessful, but he became an Artist in Residence at Charlottenborg Palace in 1815. From 1817 to 1825, he was a lecturer at the academy, where he taught perspective and mathematics. In his last years, he spent most of his time restoring old portraits at Frederiksborg Palace.

Hansen's other portrait sitters include Eline Heger, Christian Ditlev Frederik Reventlow, Anders Sandøe Ørsted, C. A. Lorentzen, Adam Wilhelm Moltke, Andreas Hallander, Princess Vilhelmine Marie, Friederich Münter, Bolette Puggaard and King Frederick VI.

Hansen and his wife died of typhus within a month of each other. They are buried at Garnisons Cemetery in Copenhagen.