Eilat Negev and Yehuda Koren

Israeli writers and journalists Eilat Negev and Yehuda Koren give an illustrated talk about their new book, Flaming Dene, a biography of the life of Dorothy Dene, who was the subject of the artist Frederic Leighton’s masterpiece, Flaming June.

Negev and Koren look at the relationship between Leighton and his muse. Leighton, the older by 30 years, became obsessed by Dene after she came looking for modelling work at the age of 19. They explore Leighton’s attitude towards marriage, his relationships with other women, hints of homosexuality and his fathering of a child by another model. And they look at the life of Dene, who became a celebrity actress, had songs written about her and who died in unclear circumstances at the age of 40.

Negev and Koren are well-known Israeli journalists. They have co-written a number of books including The First Lady of Fleet Street and Giants: The Dwarfs of Auschwitz.