Paintings of two legendary painters- Lalu Prasad Shaw  and Ramananda Bandyopadhyay - are being showcased in the exhibition which commenced from Thursday.

Known widely for his highly stylized portraits of Bengali women, Babus and couples, Lalu Prasad Shaw’s works lay emphasis on his subject’s physical characteristics.

Capturing the expressions of his subjects perfectly with the greatest economy of line and colour each of Shaw’s paintings has an intimate feel to it.

Shaw said: "Gallery Sanskriti is a very old gallery in the city and I am happy they have started hosting exhibitions again.  All these paintings, which are being showcased here now, are my recent creations."

On the other hand, lyrical and romantic, Bandyopadhyay's paintings have a radiant innocence that is strongly reminiscent of an earlier era when life had a dignity and graciousness.

Yet, all his paintings are firmly rooted in contemporary style and technique giving Bandyopadhyay's canvases the best of both worlds.

Ramananda Bandyopadhyay said: "I have been associated with this gallery for a long long time and I feel very homely when I am here."

Speaking about the painters, Gallery Sanskriti's director  Ambica Beri  said: "I have worked with them from the beginning. I know them since 1989. I wanted to showcase their recent works here and here you can see them today."

In March, the leading art gallery of the city had hosted the first exhibition for it's silver jubilee anniversary celebration. 

The exhibition, 'A tribute - in memory of the Bengal legends,' showcased the paintings of five legendary Indian artists like Shyamal Dutta Ray and  Paritosh Sen.

Twenty-five years ago when the gallery began its journey, it was mentored and supported by the likes of Bikash Bhattacharjee, Dharmanarayan Dasgupta, Ganesh Pyne, Paritosh Sen and Shyamal Dutta Ray. 

The exhibition marked the gallery’s journey with a tribute to these legends who have immortalized simple canvas, paint and colour into works of art that will astound the generations to come.

 (Reporting by Supriyo Hazra, images by Avishek Mitra)