About Theodor Pištěk (artist)
Theodor Pištěk (25 October 1932 – 3 December 2025) was a Czech painter, costume designer, set designer, and racing driver. His costume designs and film sets are internationally acclaimed. He won an Oscar for his costumes for Amadeus, directed by Miloš Forman. For Forman's next film, Valmont, Pištěk won a César Award and was nominated for a second Oscar. In 2003, he received the Czech Lion Award for Unique Contribution to Czech Film, in 2013, he was awarded the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema, and in 2017, he received the Golden Slipper for Outstanding Contribution to Films for Children and Young People. == Life and career == Theodor Pištěk is the son of two actors, Theodor Pištěk and Marie Ženíšková. He inherited his family's artistic talent and love of automobiles: his great-grandfather František Ženíšek was a painter, and his grandfather Julius Ženíšek worked for the Wright Company and was the founder and owner of the Ford Motor Company's branch in Austria-Hungary; in 1895 Julius Ženíšek became one of the first to own a racing car. The actions of his business partner bankrupted the company, and the family was forced to sell Ženíšek's valuable collection of paintings. After four years at a grammar school, Theodor Pištěk switched to the School of Applied Arts in Prague (1948–1952), where his fellow students included Aleš Veselý and Milan Ressel. Pištěk learned to drive when he was just 16 years old, and at the age of 18, after passing his driving test, he joined the Automotoklub and started competing in car races.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.