View source for Christian Frederik Hansen

{{Short description|Danish architect (1756–1845)}}
{{For|other people named Christian Hansen|Christian Hansen (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox architect
|name                 = Christian Frederik Hansen
|image                = C.F. Hansen by Gröger 1820.jpg
|caption              = C. F. Hansen painted [[Friedrich Carl Gröger]] in 1830
|nationality          = [[Denmark|Danish]]
|birth_date           = {{Birth date|1756|2|29|df=y}}
|birth_place          = [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]]
|death_date           = {{dda|1845|07|10|1756|02|28|df=y}}
|death_place          = [[Frederiksberg]], Denmark
|alma_mater           = [[Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts]]
|practice             = 
|significant_buildings= [[Christiansborg Palace (1st)]]<br /> [[Church of Our Lady (Copenhagen)|Copenhagen Cathedral]]|significant_projects =
|significant_design   =
|awards               = 
}}
'''Christian Frederik Hansen''' (29 February 1756 – 10 July 1845), known as '''C. F. Hansen''', was the leading [[Denmark|Danish]] architect between the late 18th century and the mid 19th century, and on account of his position at the [[Royal Danish Academy of Art]] (''Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi'') the most powerful person in artistic circles for many years.  He was known as "Denmark’s [[Andrea Palladio|Palladio]]" on account of the architectural style he promoted.  His buildings are known for their simplicity, strength and scale.

== Early life and education==
He was born in [[Copenhagen]] into the poor household of shoemaker and leatherworker Matthias Hansen and his wife Anna Marie, who had been nursemaid for Prince [[Christian VII of Denmark|Christian VII]].  He was the youngest son in the family, and there was not much money to spend on his upbringing.  His parents sent him to train in business, but he wanted to draw.  His mother used her connections at the royal court, and found some influential people who interested themselves in his education and training.

He was brought into training as a bricklayer, and at the same time he attended classes at the Academy of Art starting in 1766. He studied at the Academy under architect [[Caspar Frederik Harsdorff]], but probably also received some training from [[Nicolas-Henri Jardin]].  He won the Academy's small silver medallion in 1772–1773, the large silver medallion in 1774–1775, and the large gold medallion in 1779.

== Career==
===Early career===
He was taken into Harsdorff's private studio where he worked on the construction of [[Frederick V of Denmark|Frederik V]]'s chapel at [[Roskilde Cathedral]] in 1780.

He received no travel grant from the Academy, in spite of his receiving the gold medallion.  Instead he received economic support from Dowager Queen [[Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Juliane Marie]] and King Christian VII for a shorter tour, and he traveled out of the country starting in late 1782, travelling over Vienna and Venice to Rome, where he studied ancient Roman art.  His student drawings from the trip are kept in the Academy's Library to this day.

He returned home September 1784, and became a member of the Academy in 1785.

=== 18 years in Altona ===
Shortly afterwards he was named to the position of Regional Architect for the Duchies of [[Schleswig]] and [[Holstein]], with residence in [[Altona, Hamburg|Altona]], a position for which he had applied in 1782.  He held this position from 24 November 1784 until his retirement on 31 October 1844.

He was named titular Professor at the Academy in 1791.  In 1792 he married Anne Margrethe Rahbek.

He prospered during his 18 years in Altona and [[Hamburg]], with a private practice that made up for the meager earnings he made in his official position.  He built fine houses for the well-to-do, both in town and out in the country, estates on [[Elbchaussee]], and small churches.  He designed many fine houses along Altona's elegant boulevard [[Palmaille]], including some investment houses at his own expense, which helped boost his earnings substantially when sold.  He used a simple Roman Palladio-style in his work.

When Harsdorff died in 1799 a number of public building projects were transferred to Hansen, among these the completion of [[Frederik's Church]], also known as [[The Marble Church]] (''Marmorkirken'') in Copenhagen.

=== Return to Copenhagen ===
He returned to Copenhagen in 1804, where he lived until his death. He had a large, social household in a fabulously appointed apartment in Copenhagen. In 1808 he was named Professor of Architecture, Chief Building Director, and given the position of State Advisor (''etatsråd''). He held the title of Chief Building Director until his retirement.

Hansen was responsible for the building of the [[Copenhagen Court House|City Hall and Courthouse]] on Nytorv (1805–1815), and the rebuilding of [[Church of Our Lady (Copenhagen)|Church of Our Lady]] (''Vor Frue Kirke'') along with the surrounding square (1811–1829), after the church was burned down during the bombing of the [[Battle of Copenhagen (1807)|second Battle of Copenhagen]] in 1807.

He overtook [[Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard]]'s leading position at the Academy, and was chosen eight times as Director of the Academy, 1811–1818, 1821–1827, and 1830–1833.

He was responsible for the Town Hall and Court Building at the site of the old Waisenhus, which was completed in 1815. That same year Metropolitan School was completed on Frue Plads.

The other major work he did was the rebuilding of [[Christiansborg Palace]], which had burned down during the fire of 1794. The chapel was completed in 1826, and the rest of the building was completed in 1828.

In 1823 his church in [[Hørsholm]], on the site of the former [[Hirschholm Palace]], was dedicated. In 1826 he was named ‘’Konferensråd’’. In 1830 he established a medallion to be given to young architects. He became titled with the [[Order of the Dannebrog]] in 1840.

His marble bust of sculptor [[Hermann Ernst Freund]] is in the Academy's Assembly Hall, as is his portrait of artist [[Conrad Christian August Bøhndel]].

He died at his home in [[Frederiksberg]] at the age of nearly 90, and is buried in the [[Holmen Church]] in Copenhagen.

==Works==
* [[Krummbek Manor]], [[Lasbek]], Germany (1803)
* [[:da:Det Hvide Palæ|Det Hvide Palæ]], [[:da:Randbøldal|Randbøldal]], Denmark (1839)
* [[Christiansborg Palace (2nd)]], Copenhagen, Denmark (1803−1828)
* [[Copenhagen Court House]], Copenhagen, Denmark (1815)
* [[Hirschholm Palace#The site today|Hørsholm Church]] (1822&ndash;23)
* [[Church of Our Lady (Copenhagen)]], Copenhagen, Denmark (1829)

==External links==
{{Commons category|Christian Frederik Hansen}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081219175736/http://www.arcspace.com/studio/hansen/index.htm Renderings by C.F. Hansen]

{{s-start}}
{{s-culture}}
{{succession box |
  before=[[Christian August Lorentzen]]|
  title=[[Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts#List of directors of the Royal Academy Schools|Director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts]]| |
  after= [[Nicolai Dajon]] |
  years=1811&ndash;1818|
}}
{{succession box |
  before= [[Nicolai Dajon]] |
  title=[[Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts#List of directors of the Royal Academy Schools|Director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts]]| |
  after= [[Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg]] |
  years=1821&ndash;1827|
}}
{{succession box |
  before= [[Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg]] |
  title=[[Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts#List of directors of the Royal Academy Schools|Director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts]]| |
  after= [[Bertel Thorvaldsen]]|
  years=1830&ndash;1833|
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Christian Frederik Hansen}}
{{Danish Golden Age}}

{{Authority control (arts)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Christian Frederik}}
[[Category:1756 births]]
[[Category:1845 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Danish architects]]
[[Category:Danish neoclassical architects]]
[[Category:Directors of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts]]
[[Category:Architects from Copenhagen]]