Born Élisa Félix in Mumpf, Aargau, Switzerland, the daughter of Alsatian peddlers, she earned money as a child singing in the streets. She came to Paris about 1830, and took elocution and singing lessons. She made her stage debut in La Vendéenne in 1837, and first appeared at the Comédie Française in Pierre Corneille's Horace in 1838. Her fame spread throughout Europe following a sensational success in London in 1841, and became particularly associated with the works of Racine and Corneille, touring in Brussels, Berlin, and St. Petersburg. She created the title role in Eugène Scribe's Adrienne Lecouvreur. Her acting style was characterized by clear diction and economy of gesture, and represented a major departure from the exaggerated style of the day. She was best known for her portrayal of the title rôle in Phèdre.
She became the mistress of Napoleon I's son, Alexandre Joseph Colonna, Count Walewski, and by him was the mother of Alexandre Colonna-Walewski in 1844. She died of tuberculosis at Le Cannet, Alpes-Maritimes, France. She is interred in a mausoleum at Père Lachaise Cemetery.
The character Vashti in Charlotte Brontë's novel Villette was patterned after Rachel, whom Brontë had seen in London.
External link
Bartleby's entry on Rachel (http://www.bartleby.com/65/ra/Rachel2.html)
She was born on 21 February 1821 in Mumpf, Aargau, Switzerland, and died on 3 January 1858 in Le Cannet.
She is buried in a mausoleum in the Jewish part of Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Rachel, a light tannish colour, primarily for face-powder used in artificial light, is named after her; the raschel knitting-machine is according to the OED also named after her
Rachel had a curious way of asking every one she met for presents and knickknacks, whether they were valuable or not.
Rachel had declared that it was the very guitar with which she used to earn her living as a child in the streets of Paris.
Rachel remained stubborn as before; but in about half an hour she suddenly declared that she would recite before the two monarchs, which she subsequently did, to the satisfaction of everybody.
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