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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Celine Céleste

c. 1860
Charles Clarkington

carte de visite photograph (support: 9.7 cm x 6.2 cm, image: 8.6 cm x 5.6 cm)
Celine Céleste

Céline Céleste (c. 1811-1882), actor and director, trained for the stage in her native Paris and was performing in American cities by her late teens. By 1830 she was appearing in England, where her renown increased over the 1840s and peaked in the 1850s. In 1860 she leased London’s Lyceum Theatre, where she oversaw a number of productions before embarking on an international and colonial tour in 1863. When she came to perform in Melbourne’s new (and short-lived) Haymarket Theatre in 1867, newspapers made much of her decades-long career, but reassured potential theatregoers that her intellectual vigour was unimpaired, and ‘her artistic lustre was scarcely dimmed by the march of time’.

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Purchased with funds provided by Graham Smith 2009

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.
2009.63
Currently not on display
Request a digital copy for publication

Artist and subject

Charles Clarkington

Celine Celeste (age 49 in 1860)

Subject professions

Performing arts

Supported by

Graham Smith (18 portraits supported)

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

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