Hans Zatzka was born on 8 March 1859 in Vienna.

His father was a construction worker, and his mother was the actress Hilde Sochor. Between 1877 and 1882, he studied at the Academie des Beaux-Arts, under Christian Griepenkerl, Karl Wurzinger, and Karl von Blaas. Zatzka was able to earn a living through the production of frescoes for churches and other institutions.