Aksel Christian Henrik Hansen (2 September 1853 – 3 May 1933) was a Danish sculptor, one of the most productive of his times.

Biography

The son of a stonemason, Hansen was born in Odense, Denmark. After an apprenticeship with his father, he studied architecture at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

(1876-1879). He exhibited at the

Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition The Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition (''Charlottenborg Forårsudstilling'') is an annual art exhibition in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. The event is held at the Charlottenborg Exhibition Building (''Kunsthal Charlottenborg''). Kunsthal Cha ...

from 1880. He received the Hielmstierne-Rosencrone and the Ancker scholarships in 1888. He conducted study trips to Italy 1888-89 and to Greece 1904. While following the classical tradition of

Herman Wilhelm Bissen Herman Wilhelm Bissen (13 October 1798 – 10 March 1868) was a Danish sculptor. Bissen created a number of public works, working in plaster, marble and bronze. The National Gallery of Denmark owns a collection of over two hundred of his ...

, he was also influenced by French Naturalism and the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

style. This emerging trend can be seen in his masterpiece, ''Echo'' (1888), in Copenhagen's

Rosenborg Castle Gardens Rosenborg Castle Gardens (Danish: ''Kongens Have''; literally ''The King's Garden'') is the oldest and most visited park in central Copenhagen, Denmark. Established in the early 17th century as the private gardens of King Christian IV of Denmark, ...

, as well as in Gustav Lotze's tomb with its slender female figures in Odense's Assistens Cemetery. His statue of ''Uffe den Spage'' (1904), outside the Østerbro Stadium, shows how the Nordic character is reflected in ancient legends. Among his best known works are the six giants in the guardroom at

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace (, ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament (), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also ...

(1912) and the equestrian statue of

King Christian IX Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 15 November 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schleswi ...

(1912) in Odense's Royal Gardens.Karin Kryger, "Aksel Hansen"
''Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbachs kunstnerleksikon''. Retrieved 14 February 2012.

List of works

*''Echo'',

, Copenhagen (1888) * Hans Tausen Monument, Birkende,

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

(1894) * Christian IV,

Odense Palace Odense Palace () in the city of Odense on the Danish island of Funen has its origins in a 15th-century monastery which passed to the Crown after the Reformation, and since then has served as an administrative building: in turn as a seigneurial r ...

, Odense * ''Ancient hunter'', Dalgas Boulevard, Frederiksberg, Copenhagen * ''Ambrosius'', Frederick's Church, Copenhagen

Image gallery

Image:Ekko Kongens Have.JPG, ''Echo''
Rosenborg Castle Gardens Image:Urjægeren Aksel Hansen.JPG, ''Ancient hunter''
Frederiksberg Image:Christian IX Odense.JPG, ''Christian IX''
Odense

References

1853 births 1933 deaths People from Odense 20th-century Danish sculptors Danish male sculptors 19th-century Danish sculptors 20th-century Danish male artists {{Denmark-sculptor-stub