The Boa (Mrs. Milbank) - Albert Belleroche

A refined lithographic portrait by Albert Belleroche, capturing Mrs. Milbank in a voluminous fur boa with delicate, expressive line work.

Albert Belleroche, a British artist of French descent, produced this lithographic portrait during a period when he was closely associated with the Parisian art scene. Belleroche is recognised for his technical mastery of lithography, a medium he favoured for its ability to capture the spontaneity of drawing while allowing for subtle tonal gradations. In this work, he depicts Mrs. Milbank, a frequent subject of his portraiture, enveloped in a voluminous fur boa.

The composition focuses on the sitter's face, which emerges from the dark, textured mass of the garment. Belleroche employs a fluid, calligraphic line to define the contours of the face and the soft, swirling texture of the fur. The background is kept minimal, consisting of vertical, hatched strokes that provide a sense of depth without distracting from the subject. His approach to light and shadow creates a soft, atmospheric quality, characteristic of his portrait studies from the turn of the century.

Belleroche's work often reflects the aesthetic sensibilities of the Belle Époque, prioritising elegance and the psychological presence of the sitter. The artist avoids rigid academic structure, opting instead for a more impressionistic handling of form. By using the lithographic stone as a canvas for expressive mark-making, he achieves a balance between the precision of a sketch and the finished quality of a formal portrait. This print demonstrates his ability to render complex textures, such as the dense, layered appearance of the boa, through varied pressure and layering of ink. The result is a study that captures a fleeting moment of poise, typical of his broader body of work which frequently explored the intersection of fashion and portraiture.