Lalu Prasad Shaw (b.1937) is a master of both printmaking as well as tempera. In printmaking, Lalu Prasad expresses his modernity, both in terms of technique and imagery. His imagery is taken from everyday life, depicting simple objects and events. In his small-sized tempera paintings one notices stylistic elements derived from the nineteenth-century Company School paintings and the Kalighat pat painting tradition. His single figures and still life are done in a style that is very indigenous and sophisticated. Brought up in rural Bengal, Lalu Shaw’s indigenous sensibilities played a vital role in evolving his works in tempera. He portrays essentially, ordinary folks from everyday life. He has always been fascinated by the middle class Babu culture of 19th and early 20th century Bengal and lot of his male characters resonate that spirit. Lalu Prasad Shaw’s works are full of irony and subtle humour. Exhibited across the world and widely in India, Shaw has played a seminal role in evolving the language of modern Indian art.