[1] She was the daughter of the painter August Matthias Hagen;[2] born while her parents were on a painting excursion.

She displayed an early interest in drawing, so her father wasted no time in giving her lessons.

She began with Friedrich Gonne in Dresden, then went to Munich, obtaining a position in the workshops of Moritz Rugendas.

[3] Three years later, she returned to Tartu and received another grant from Tsar Nicholas I to study in Italy.

Her honeymoon consisted of an expedition to Southeast Siberia,[3] covering 600 versts, where her husband was part of a team exploring mineral resources and preparing a detailed map on behalf of the Russian Geographical Society.