Gustav Mootse
Gustav Mootse was an Estonian printmaker and painter.
Early life and education
Gustav Mootse was born at the Kristjan-Jaani farm in Võnnu Parish, Estonia, the son of Jaan Mootse and Ann Mootse. He learned to read at home and attended the Võnnu village school, and then he attended St George's Parish School in Tartu. He also studied at and Hugo Treffner High School. At the recommendation of and with material support from Jaan Tõnisson, Mootse traveled to Saint Petersburg to acquire an art education. He studied ink drawing and xylography at the School of Technical Drawing of Baron Alexander von Stieglitz and then wood engraving at the studio of Vasily Mate of the Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Later he improved his skills at the Leipzig School of Graphic Design and Book Illustration. In 1928, he traveled to Italy, where he was particularly interested in ancient and Renaissance art.Career
Mootse worked as a drawing teacher, technical draftsman, and book illustrator in Saint Petersburg. Under the pseudonym Foma Urvanov, he contributed to illustrated and cartoon magazines and newspapers in Saint Petersburg. For example, he worked as a cartoonist for the weekly satirical magazine Пугачъ.Mootse fell ill with a pulmonary disease and returned to Estonia in 1918. He was a drawing teacher at and, and in Rakvere he also taught Hando Mugasto and. Starting in 1928, he worked in several schools in Viljandi, and he worked as a lecturer in teacher training courses during the summer. In the jubilee article for his 50th birthday, Gustav Mootse was called one of the most significant or best drawing teachers in Estonia of his time. From 1947 to 1952, he worked as a research employee at the, from which he retired in 1953. He lived at Kunderi 9 in Viljandi from 1936 until 1957.
Gustav Mootse was a member of the Estonian Artists' Association.