Danish Illustrator Liv Hansen: Vintage-Inspired Narrative Illustration

As a Danish illustrator, I'm rarely interested in spectacle. What draws me instead are places and objects that have absorbed years of everyday life—railway stations, old interiors, weathered buildings, and landscapes that feel connected to Danish history. Those details often become the starting point for my illustrations.

A vintage-inspired railway illustration influenced by Danish railway history, historical reference material, and mid-century visual storytelling.

This drawing brings together several influences: small Danish railway stations, historical photographs, vintage travel posters, and the visual world of films and television dramas set in the first half of the twentieth century.

Rather than depicting one specific location, I wanted to create a station that feels recognisably Danish. It's less about documenting a place than capturing the character many of these stations still share—the measured pace, familiar architecture, and the sense that generations of travellers have passed through before.

Drawing from Danish History and Everyday Life

The scene is loosely inspired by the local stations that still exist across Denmark and, in part, by Matador—the classic Danish television series portraying Danish life before and after the Second World War.

For the train itself, I also looked briefly at the work of my great-grand-uncle, Aage Rasmussen, whose iconic railway posters captured both travel and a strong sense of place. His illustrations reminded me how much character can be conveyed through composition, architecture, and colour without relying on unnecessary detail.

Although this isn't a depiction of a real station, every element grows from references I've collected over the years: old photographs, Danish railway history, architecture, films, paintings, and places I've visited myself. By the time I begin drawing, those influences have usually blended into something new rather than remaining tied to a single source.

As a Danish illustrator, I'm interested in the way places accumulate history. A station platform, a waiting room, or a village street can carry traces of the people who have passed through them over decades. Those traces often become the foundation of my work.

Further Reading

• Scandinavian Illustration Portfolio

• Vintage Design in Copenhagen

• Quiet Scenes and Narrative Art

• A Day in the Life of a Danish Illustrator