The Son of Joseph Hecht: Henri Joseph Hecht, known as Maïk (1922–1993)
Birth and Family
Henri Hecht, better known as Maïk, was born in Paris on March 27, 1922. He was the son of the renowned painter-engraver Joseph Hecht and his wife, Ingrid Morsing. His childhood was marked by the death of his mother in 1935, after which he was sent to a boarding school near Beaune. His relationship with his father became strained due to his mother’s absence and his undiagnosed dyslexia, which was poorly understood at the time.
In 1940, at the age of 18, Maïk enlisted in the French Navy as a medic and was stationed in Brest, where he experienced the early part of the war. Captured and imprisoned, he was later released. After his release, he worked and, above all, went into hiding (as he was Jewish) as a lumberjack in Orne, near Sainte-Marguerite-de-Carrouges, alongside Mouloudji and his brother, who became his close friends. It was there that he met the village schoolteacher, Irma Chevalier, whom he later married. After his father’s death, he spent the rest of his life in Paris, residing at 14 Cité Falguière.
They had three children: Sylvain (born in 1946), Frédéric (1954), and Ingrid (1957)
Kochka in the moonlight, oil on canvas 1991
Artistic Career
Before gaining recognition as a painter, Maïk worked as an actor in film and theater. He appeared in the following films: Les Honneurs de la Guerre, Sans Tambour ni Trompette (1960), Deux de l’Escadrille (1953), Si Tous les Gars du Monde, and Cette Nuit-Là (non-exhaustive list). In theater, he performed in La P… respectueuse by Jean-Paul Sartre.
Maïk began painting in 1956. He described himself as a primitive painter, not a naïve one. He developed a unique style that contrasted sharply with his father’s work, characterized by joy and inventiveness. Animals were a central theme in his work, but they were depicted as happy and living in peaceful worlds. His vibrant colors and harmonious compositions blended innocence with sophistication.
He quickly gained exposure in prestigious venues, including the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (1966, 1967, 1968), the Salon d’Automne, the Salon de Bollène, and the Centre National de la Tapisserie d’Aubusson. His works were also exhibited abroad, such as at the Swedish Art Salon.
He frequently exhibited at the Findlay Gallery in Paris, as well as in the United States and Japan.
In 1960, he held his first solo exhibition in Paris, marking the beginning of an international career. His paintings are now preserved in museums such as the National Museum of Budapest, the Center for Contemporary Art in Rehovot (Israel), the Musée d’Art Naïf de l’Île-de-France in Vicq, and the Musée de Colmar.
Other Talents
In addition to painting, Maïk designed tapestries in collaboration with Aubusson, created limited-edition jewelry with his friend Laurent Laguinier, and wrote and illustrated children’s books, such as Flegmatique the Lion.
Death
Henri Hecht (Maïk) passed away suddenly in 1993. He is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery alongside his wife and father.
