Raud and his brother Paul spent their early years in Meriküla, where their father was a field ranger. After his early death, they were enrolled at the parish school in
Rakvere, where they were taught in German. Later, he went to the teachers' college in
Tartu, and taught in the local schools there for several years. In 1892, dissatisfied with his career, he moved to
Saint Petersburg, where his drawings came to the attention of
Johann Köler. He thought that Raud had some potential and advised him to enroll at the
Imperial Academy of Arts. Four years later, after completing his studies, he went to Germany to polish his skills; spending time in
Düsseldorf with
Peter Janssen, then moving on to Munich, where he took private lessons from
Anton Ažbe and classes at the
Academy of Fine Arts. Proposes Marriage, from the
Kalevipoeg When he returned to Tartu in 1903, he organized a school for young artists, wrote articles for the local newspapers, and taught at the
gymnasium. After the death of
Jakob Hurt in 1907, he became an advocate for the establishment of a museum devoted to folklore. Two years later, he became one of the founders and organizers of the Estonian National Museum.
. His commitment to painting was such that, even on his death bed in the hospital, he continued to paint. He died during the
German occupation so, despite his fame, his funeral was very modest. ==Family==