Aksel Hansen
Aksel Christian Henrik Hansen was a Danish sculptor, one of the most productive of his times.Biography
The son of a stonemason, Hansen was born in Odense in 1853. After an apprenticeship with his father, he studied architecture at the Danish Academy. While following the classical tradition of Herman Wilhelm Bissen, he was also influenced by French Naturalism and the Art Nouveau style. This emerging trend can be seen in his masterpiece, Echo, in Copenhagen's Rosenborg Castle Gardens, as well as in Gustav Lotze's tomb with its slender female figures in Odense's Assistens Cemetery. His statue of Uffe den Spage, 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 and the equestrian statue of King Christian IX in Odense's Royal Gardens.Ecjo, Rosenborg Castle Gardens, Copenhagen
