Gustav Mootse was born on 27 July 1885, in Kastre-V\u00f5nnu, Tartu County. In 1904, against his\nparents\u2019 wishes, Mootse enrolled in the Art School of Stieglitz, in St Petersburg, where he studied\nfor five years. After graduating from art school, he continued his art studies at the St Petersburg\nAcademy of Fine Arts, under the famous Russian engraver Professor Vasyli Mat\u00e9, learning\nxylography. The future artist spent a total of 14 years of his youth in St Petersburg. Before moving\nto Viljandi, Mootse lived in Tartu and Rakvere, studied at the Academy of Graphic Arts and Book\nDesign, in Leipzig, and travelled to Italy in 1928. Mootse\u2019s productive creative period lasted for 50\nyears, during which he also worked as an educator for 25 years, contributing to local education. He\npublished a number of specialist books on drawing, sculpting, perspective, colour and aesthetics.\nFrom the late 1920s onwards, Mootse\u2019s oeuvre consisted mainly of book illustrations, totalling\nsome 250, and watercolours in soft colours. His beautiful landscape motifs were inspired by the\ntown of Viljandi and its castle ruins, P\u00f5ltsamaa, and many other scenic spots. Mootse\u2019s\nwatercolours have been described as somewhat monotone and not particularly colourful, but there is\na character and sincerity of mood behind the ethereal and external simplicity. His works have been\nregarded as examples of the Heimatkunst (\u201cHomeland Art\u201d) in watercolour of the time (Loodus,\nRein. 1981. 56). He illustrated both Estonian and Russian books and magazines, and August\nMaramaa's book Maret and J\u00fcri, published in 1934, was illustrated with 100 contour drawings by\nGustav Mootse.<\/p>\n
The small-format oil painting was painted on Pikk Street, a year after the artist moved to Viljandi.\nThe painting features the high wooden fence typical of the old town of the time and buildings that\nhave since been lost to the past (Vallikivi, 2020).<\/p>\n
In the last years of his life, Mootse worked as a researcher at the Viljandi Museum. Friendly and\nalways helpful, but at the same time very modest, he remained an observer both in life and in art.<\/p>\n
Gustav Mootse died in Viljandi on 16 November 1957.<\/p>\n
(Tee Kommunismile, 21 November 1957)<\/p>\n
Three paintings \u2013 two at the castle ruins and one at the end of Pikk Street.<\/p>\n