Dorothy Zinaida Hecht, was born at Ipplepen, Newton Abbot, Devon on 26 September 1917, daughter of Frederick William Hecht (1857-8 May 1932), Member of the London Stock Exchange, and his wife Edith Lilian née Charlton (1886-15 January 1949), who married at Lambeth, London in 1912, the family later took the name of Duval. Dorothy was educated at Bedford Park High School and studied privately under Anthony Devas (1911-1958) and, as a mature student, attended Slade School of Fine Art 1949-1955. Dorothy was a teacher at Felixstowe College, a girls' public school in Suffolk also teaching in other adult classes. A member and exhibitor at the United Society of Artists and was also a fellow of the British Academy and a lay member at the Royal Society of Miniature Artists. She exhibited at the Royals Academy from 'The Green Barge', c/o Salters Bros., Folly Bridge, Oxford in 1945 'Still Life', from 98 Sydney Street, London SW3 in 1947 'Carnations' and 'The Pumpkin', in 1948 'Lilac' and 'Chrysanthemums', in 1950 'Many-coloured Dahlias', in 1956 'Roses in a Jug', and from 166 Percy Avenue, Kingsgate, Broadstairs, Kent in 1961 'Summer Flowers' also showing at the Royal Society of British Artists; Royal Institute of Oil Painters; Royal Society of Portrait Painters and at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and had solo shows at Saffron Gallery, Saffron Walden, Essex 1973; Broadstairs Library Gallery 1978 and Library Gallery, Margate in 1979. Dorothy gained a silver medal at Paris Salon in 1959 and an Accademia Italia gold medal in 1980 and the Grenadier Guards Library holds her portrait of Victoria Cross holder, Harry Nichols. In 1939, she was a confectionary shop assistant, living at 31 Blandford Road, Acton, London with her older sister Edith Iris Hecht [Vogel] (born 26 October 1914). Dorothy Zinaida Duval died at 166 Percy Avenue, Kingsgate, Broadstairs, Kent in 2005.
