He began his studies in 1842 at the Städelschule, where his primary instructors were Jakob Becker and Moritz von Schwind. He continued his studies in Paris (1852) and Rome (1855).
In 1861, he accompanied the "Nordland Trip", a private expedition to Jan Mayen and Iceland, organized by the financier and landowner, Georg Berna [de]. During the trip, he created numerous landscapes and coastal scenes of both areas, which are now on display at the Historical Museum, Frankfurt. In 1863, a travelogue of the journey was published, with his illustrations.
During this time, he became a drawing teacher at the Städelschule. One of his early students was the polar explorer, Julius von Payer, who would become known for his monumental depictions of his own adventures. In Hasselhorst's later years, an entire generation of young Frankfurt artists were his students, including Joseph Kaspar Correggio [de], Emil Beithan [de], and Hermann Treuner [de].
He is interred at Frankfurt Main Cemetery. Many of his best known works may be seen at the Museum Giersch.
