Guardian Angel Cathedral interior - Las Vegas 09

Isabel Helen Piczek (November 14, 1927 – September 29, 2016) was a Hungarian born ecclesiastical artist perhaps best known for her study of the Shroud of Turin, and who lived in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

. Her sister, Edith Piczek, was also a noted religious artist. Piczek, and her sister Edith, were born in Hungary, where her father was a noted artist and art professor, and graduated from the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute ...

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the sisters fled to

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

during the Communist dictatorship in Hungary to pursue their work in sacred art. There, whilst still only teenagers, they won a 1949 competition to paint a mural at Rome’s

Pontifical Biblical Institute The Pontifical Biblical Institute (also known as Biblicum) is a research and postgraduate teaching institution specialised in biblical and ancient Near Eastern studies. It is an institution of the Holy See entrusted to the Society of Jesus. His ...

. By 1955 they were in Canada and shortly after arrived in Los Angeles to pursue their combined talents. In

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, Edith designed the 2,000 square-foot mosaic on the façade of

Guardian Angel Cathedral Guardian Angel Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral in Winchester, Nevada, United States, in the Las Vegas Valley. It is just off the Las Vegas Strip, north of the Encore hotel. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Las Vegas. Before the establishmen ...

that illustrated the roles of the Guardian Angel.
Isabel created the Stained glass windows that portray the Stations of the Cross for the same church. The two also collaborated on mosaics and the windows for Holy Family Cathedral in

Orange, California Orange is a city located in North Orange County, California. It is approximately north of the county seat, Santa Ana. Orange is unusual in this region because many of the homes in its Old Town District were built before 1920. While many other ...

and artwork in Saint Thomas Aquinas Cathedral in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

. Isabel created a 300 square foot figurative stained glass entrance for the

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a large minor Catholic basilica and national shrine in the United States in Washington, D.C., located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, adjacent to Catholic University. ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

In 1992, Piczek was honored by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in recognition of her prolific artistic achievements, examples of which can be found in nearly 500 different cathedrals, churches and other buildings across the world.British Society for the Turn Shroud, Issue number 47: http://www.shroud.com/bsts4702.htm Cardinal

Roger Mahony Roger Michael Mahony (born February 27, 1936) is an American cardinal and retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1985 to 2011. Before his appointment, he served as Auxiliary Bishop of Fresno from ...

, Archbishop of Los Angeles, conferred on Piczek admission into the

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

, and the title Dame of Saint Gregory, whereby she became one of only 70 Knights and Dames throughout the world to hold this honor.

External links

Obituary via Orange County Register

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Piczec, Isabel 1927 births Dames of St. Gregory the Great Shroud of Turin 2016 deaths Hungarian University of Fine Arts alumni Hungarian emigrants to the United States American women painters 20th-century American painters 20th-century American women artists 20th-century American women scientists 21st-century American painters 21st-century American women artists Artists from Los Angeles