Usha Mone (born 1945)
Muse of the artist initially, later married him

Artist Gopal Deuskar (1911 – 1994)

circa 1965, Enamel on metal plate
12 x 9 in. (30.5 x 22.9 cm.)

Usha Mone, captured here in a tender and introspective portrait, became known as Juilee Deuskar after her marriage to the artist in 1966. Their union marked a brief yet creatively rich period in both their lives. Usha, graceful and quietly self-assured, was often a muse for Deuskar, who portrayed her with remarkable sensitivity. Their 1965 visit to Kirloskarwadi led to this distinctive portrait, created using the enamel-on-metal technique—an art form requiring meticulous craftsmanship. After fifteen years of marriage, Juilee charted her own course in the world of Marathi theatre, eventually parting ways with Deuskar in 1982. Yet this portrait endures, reflecting a moment of shared artistic and personal intimacy etched in glass and memory.

Gopal Damodar Deuskar was a distinguished Indian painter celebrated for his realist portraits and murals. Born in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, into an artistic family, he lost his parents early and was raised by his uncle, a court painter in Hyderabad. Deuskar trained at Sir J.J. School of Art in Bombay, graduating with top honors, and later studied at the Royal Academy in London. His works, blending Indian aesthetics with Western techniques, adorn institutions like the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Supreme Court of India. He also created murals at Pune’s Tilak Smarak Ranga Mandir.