Hensel, Wilhelm, 1794-1861

Wilhelm Hensel (6 July 1794 – 26 November 1861) was a German painter, brother of Luise Hensel, husband to Fanny Mendelssohn, and brother-in-law to Felix Mendelssohn. born on 6 July 1794 in the German town of Trebbin In 1828, Hensel moved back to Berlin, where he became the royal court painter, and both a professor and member of the Academic Senate. He also married Fanny Mendelssohn; they had known each other since he was a student and she was 16. Hensel's sister, Luise Hensel, was a widely read religious poet.

He and Fanny Mendelssohn had one child, Sebastian Ludwig Felix Hensel (1830–1898). Hensel's grandchildren include the philosopher Paul Hensel (1860–1930) and the mathematician Kurt Hensel (1861–1941).