Biographie
Van Hecke, Arthur, born March 20, 1924 in Roubaix and died January 25, 2003 in Hondschoote, was a French painter and lithographer from the Roubaix Group. Known for his portraits, seascapes, and floral compositions, he left his mark on the regional art scene and contributed to the founding of the Gravelines Group.
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Arthur Van Hecke grew up in Roubaix, raised by his grandparents after his parents separated. Passionate about painting from the age of 12, he copied the works of Belgian masters such as James Ensor and Paul Permeke, while working as a textile factory worker at 13.
During World War II, he enlisted in the Free French troops and participated in the liberation of the Dunkirk pocket, while raising three daughters with his wife, Fernande Lamarque. Self-taught, Van Hecke began painting seriously after the war and exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Roubaisiens and in various galleries. His meeting with Roger Dutilleul opened a studio for him in Roubaix, facilitating access to collections and exhibitions.
In 1961, having settled in Petit-Fort-Philippe, he founded the Gravelines Group with other artists, creating a collection of prints that would give rise to the Gravelines Museum of Drawing and Original Prints, inaugurated in 1982. Van Hecke settled permanently in Hondschoote the same year, where he continued to create until his death in 2003.
