The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-21
SEARCHING FOR A MODEL.
II Took Sir Frederick Leighton Six
Months to Find His Ideal.

To be selected as the one woman IN
all of Europe whose face and figure
most closely tailed with the ideal of
EnGland's greatest painter is surely no
empty honor. When the late Sir Fred
| eric Leighton, president of the Royal
Academy, and foremost among British
artists, conceived the idea of his fam
Gus painting, "Cymen and Iphigenia,'
he sought in all quarters of the con-
| tinent for suitable model to pose
as the sleeping maiden, now so familiar
| in his finished canvas. After fruitless
search of six months he came upon the
| incarnation of his souls ideal In the
| capital of his native land. Curiously
| enough he found the model he had so
| long sought behind the footlights of a
| thcater.
She was Miss Dorothy Dene, a young
woman of remarkable beauty, both in
face and figure. Sir Frederic told her
| Of his inspiration, the contemplated
| canvas, and her fulfillment of his ideal
| for the central figure. Miss Dene gra-
! ciously consented to pose for him, and,
| eight months later, the artists con-
| ception of a beautiful picture became "A
| reality, and was the moss admired of
| all Sir Frederic's works.
| Miss Dene is as perfect type of
Greek beauty as can be found at the
present day. Every line of her face
| and figure is classical in the highest
degree. She is rather above the aver
age in height, has long, 1.-the limbs
and an exquisitely nodded bust. Her
| hair is curly and golden and her lus-
trous eyes have the hue of violets. In
addition to all these charms she is
| said to possess the most beautiful
| complexion of any woman in Europe.
What wonder that such a superb crea-
ture inspired Sir Frederic to his great
est efforts.
Miss Dene continued to be Sir Fred
cries model long after he had given
"Cymon and Iphigenia" to the world
Her form and features can be readily
recognized in a number of other works
by the same artist. In Sir Frederic's
painting of Greek Girls Playing Bali
she is represented as the maiden who
is catching the ball. This canvas no,
tably displays the actress exquisite
figure Miss Denes shapely arms may
be noted in Summer Moon" another
we'll known painting by Leighton.
A year or two before Sir Frederic's
| death it was gossiped in London that
the artist was madly in love with his
model, but that some obstacle or other
was in the way of their marriage. Just
what the obstacle was no one seemed
to know. Possibly it was the dispar.
ity in their ages. Leighton, at the
time of his eath-about a year ago
was only 20 years old; Miss Dene is
now about 2S. Dorothy Dene visited
the United States in 1898. She under,
took the production of classical play:
popular in England, but almost un'
known on this side OF the water. Lit
tie success attended the venture ant
her tour was finally abandoned. Ii
England Miss Dene enjoys much popu
lGrity. Not only does she reign su
preme as a queen of beauty, but hel
histrionic ability, which is of no NEAR
order, has won her the praise or no
table critics and fellow artists. Mis-!
Dene lives with her four sisters, all o.
whom are remarkably pretty, in 6
charming apartment in South Kensing
ton, London, a section of the city col
onized chiefly by artists and theatrica
folk and quite rs picturesque in man!
of its features as is the famous Quar-
tier Latin of Paris.