Brief Biography-Carl Christian Constantin Hansen was born in Rome, the son of Hans Hansen, the Danish portraitist (1769-1828). The family moved to Copenhagen, where he studied architecture until he discovered he preferred painting. Hansen studied under Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, who influenced his work. When his father died, Carl finished many of his notable commissions. From 1835 to 1844, he toured Europe and spent eight years in Italy. Christen Købke was one of his many Danish travelling companions. On his return to Denmark, the University of Copenhagen commissioned him to paint the vestibule with Greek Mythological scenes. George Hilker, the decorative painter, assisted him with the frescoes. He became a professor at the Danish Royal Academy of Art in 1854.