Background
Hansen was born in Copenhagen.
Hansen was born in Copenhagen.
He first learned the profession of watchmaking before studying woodcutting under Hans Christian Henneberg, Johann Adolf Kittendorff, and Johan Peter Aagaard. At the same time, he also followed courses at the Academy of Arts of Copenhagen (1843/44). In 1854, he travelled to Germany, first to Dresden and then to Leipzig, where he settled.
In 1864, he returned to Copenhagen, where he worked for several illustrated magazines and newspapers, such as Illustreret Tidende and Ude og Hjemme.