Christian Hansen

Christian Hansen was the leading Danish architect between the late 18th century and the mid 19th century, and the most powerful person in artistic circles for many years. He was known as "Denmark's Palladio" on account of the architectural style he promoted. His buildings are known for their simplicity, strength and scale. He studied at the Academy of Art under Caspar Frederik Harsdorff and Nicolas-Henri Jardin, and visited Italy where he was influenced by the Antiquity, the Renaissance and the Manierism. He worked as an architect for the royal court, the city of Copenhagen, and the state of Holstein. He designed many monumental buildings, such as the first Christiansborg Palace, the Copenhagen Cathedral, the Royal Danish Theatre, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, and the National Gallery of Denmark. He also worked as an artistic consultant for the Copenhagen Port Authority and the Royal Danish Navy Shipyard. He was a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and a titular professor. He received several awards and medals for his work, such as the C.F. Hansen Medal and the Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn. He was married to Anne Margrethe Rahbek and had no children. He died in Frederiksberg in 1845. ¹²³