Portrait photographique de Elisa Rachel Félix dite Mademoiselle Rachel

Full-length albumen photographic portrait of the actress in tragedian costume (Phèdre or Horace), of Elisa Félix Rachel, known as Rachel or Mademoiselle Rachel.
A carte-de-visite photograph, albumen print, mounted on white card. Full-length: Mayer & Pierson. On verso, vignette with the arms of Emperor Napoleon III, Mayer & Pierson, photographers to the emperor, Boulevard des Capucines, Paris. Very fine condition and superb printing.
Rachel was the first true "Star" from the world of entertainment. Starting from nothing, from a poor family, only learning to read at 17, singing in the streets, Rachel from her first roles electrified audiences with her new style of acting. From then on she completely revolutionized the interpretation of classical tragedy and was adored by the public, critics who hailed her genius, writers and the nobility of the Faubourg Saint-Germain of whom she became the muse. Musset was one of the first to recognize her talent: "C'est une créature toute d'instinct, ignorante, vraie princesse bohémienne, une pincée de cendre où il y a une étincelle sacrée" ["She is a creature of pure instinct, ignorant, a true bohemian princess, a pinch of ash containing a sacred spark"].
Rachel inspired Marcel Proust for the actress character of the same name in A la recherche du temps perdu, mistress of Robert de Saint-Loup (the famous Rachel Quand-du-seigneur), courtesan who becomes the great tragedian La Berma.