Untitled

Artist: Lalu Prasad Shaw
Medium: Tempera on Board
Size: 22 × 15 inches (55.88 × 38.1 cm)

A serene and exquisitely composed still life, Lalu Prasad Shaw’s tempera on board painting offers a masterclass in harmony, balance, and decorative refinement. Rooted in the Bengal School's formal sensibilities, this composition distills everyday beauty into a carefully orchestrated tableau that bridges traditional craftsmanship with modernist restraint.

Composition stands a cream-hued, amphora-like vase, elegant in its symmetry and simplicity. With its rounded form and twin handles, the vessel evokes both classical ceramic traditions and indigenous Indian pottery aesthetics. It rests gracefully atop a circular table adorned with a checkered cloth rendered in warm, muted tones of yellow and beige. Each square of the table covering features delicate motifs, contributing to a rhythmic visual cadence that underscores Shaw’s meticulous attention to surface design.

Bursting from the vase is a vivid arrangement of red, fern-like foliage. The rich crimson hue not only enlivens the scene but also serves as a visual counterpoint to the earthy softness of the table and vase. The fronds, cascading downward and arching outward, create a dynamic interplay of linear movement and compositional containment, subtly breaking the formal geometry of the arrangement while reinforcing its visual unity. The background, a deep maroon or burgundy, offers a rich, velvety field that intensifies the luminosity of the central objects. This saturated backdrop serves both as a foil and a frame, allowing the more delicate hues of the foreground to emerge with clarity and grace. The overall palette reflects Shaw’s refined sense of color, muted and controlled, yet punctuated with moments of striking chromatic contrast.

Executed in tempera, a medium known for its precision and matte finish, the painting exudes a tactile quality. The technique allows for crisp delineation of forms and patterns, giving the composition its signature clarity and refinement. Shaw’s characteristic style, marked by decorative stylization, subtle linearity, and compositional poise, is evident in every element. Enclosed within a pale gold-toned frame, the painting takes on the quality of an object of reverence, elevating the ordinary into the realm of the iconic. A discreet signature at the bottom left anchors the work within Shaw’s oeuvre, known for its synthesis of modernist flatness and traditional aesthetics. This still life stands as a quiet celebration of form, color, and material, demonstrating Shaw’s enduring ability to infuse static subjects with elegance, rhythm, and cultural resonance