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Sister Wendy Beckett, a Roman Catholic nun who interrupted a cloistered life of prayer in England in 1991 and soared to international stardom with lyrical BBC documentaries that made her one of. From then on, she was not a member of any religious order but continued to wear a homemade black habit, a variation on the one she wore as a Sister of Notre Dame. Sprinkle some salt on the dish, and, if you want to be really fancy, some chopped chives. In fact, being unusual might have even helped her. More series followed, including a ten-part documentary that saw Sister Wendy travel to visit artworks in 12 different countries. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. I think Mother called me Wendy because she thought I would be small and pretty. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Later, as an act of humility, she reclaimed her given name. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the monastery Wednesday afternoon. Beckett, Sister Wendy with Patricia Wright. It was while attending an art exhibit that a film crew overheard her comments and asked to videotape her. Sister Wendy. This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the debut Sister Wendys Odyssey. Emerging from her hermit-like existence in a caravan at a Carmelite monastery in Norfolk, she hosted unscripted BBC shows from galleries across the world. The greatest reward I could have is to know that, despite my inadequacies, more and more people are coming to believe in their own powers of artistic appreciation., Sister Wendy Beckett, Sister Wendys Grand Tour, 12. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. When she's not being an art historian, she can usually be found ice skating and dancing. . She was an effective and knowledgeable presenter, and people enjoyed her quirky style and insights. I think that this type of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover. I do not use the word died, as someone with Sister Wendy's warmth, faith and devotion to share her knowledge does not die. Angry protests erupt over Greek rail disaster, Messages reveal battle over UK Covid policy, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked minister's messages. Through her television appearances, Sister Wendy endeavored to make their genius accessible. Starting in the early 80s, she began to put down on paper often in close type, squeezed onto the back of a recycled luggage label her thoughts about paintings that she had only ever seen in reproduction. And certainly those who accompanied her on the road enjoyed the more down-to-earth side she would display, enjoying a glass or two of wine (in preference to tea or water) to revive her when she felt faint, or counselling members of the crew on their romantic lives. As it so happened, her trip coincided with a visit from a television crew, which was getting ready to film the feminist theorist Germaine Greer. You can also manage your account details and your print subscription after logging in. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the . Sister Wendy began stud. It drew 3.5 million viewers, and it secured her stardom. Three Jesuit astronomers and the 16th-century pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar have recently been honored with having asteroids named after them. Sister Wendy Beckett, the TV star and art historian, has died at the age of 88. She cut an unconventional figure for a television personality with her black nuns habit and oversized eyeglasses. Logging in will also give you access to commenting features on our website. Mother Teresas life work was to care for the worlds unwanted. The Republican. She had acquired all the star trappings but a wardrobe adviser a publicist, an agent to negotiate fees and contracts, promotional interviews with Charlie Rose and Bill Moyers, and visits with dignitaries like Prime Minister John Major at 10 Downing Street and Pope John Paul II, who commended her for broadcasting a positive image of the church. By then, viewers were accustomed to her mischievous humor and unconventional views. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. In 1991, after 45 years of the cloistered life, Sister Wendy Beckett stepped out of the convent and into London's National Gallery. So in her honor, lets learn a few important things from Sister Wendy. Sister Wendy Beckett, who has died aged 88, could be dismissive of the high-profile television work that made this hermit nun with owl-like glasses into an unlikely household name during the. "Bespectacled, bewimpled and with a decided lisp, the 67-year-old woman makes . By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. And indeed wicked it is! After obtaining permission to study art in the 1980s - largely through books and postcard reproductions of the great works obtained from galleries - Sister Wendy decided to write a book to earn money for her convent. She soared to international stardom with her BBC documentaries on the history of art. [4] In 1997 she made her debut on US public television, with The New York Times describing her as "a sometime hermit who is fast on her way to becoming the most unlikely and famous art critic in the history of television. Her favourite choice was "Serenade" (D 957 No. Sister Wendy herself said she was bemused but not displeased by the accolade. Sister Wendy speaking about the true meaning of Christmas and iconography (video originally published in 2010). If you dont know about God, art is the only thing that can set you free, she explained. Beckett emerged as an unlikely TV personality in the 1990s through her belief that art belongs to . The sisters worried about the lack of insulation, so they put up a small mobile home, which has a lavatory, bathroom and light fittings, she told The Telegraph of London in 2010. Sister Wendy Beckett passed away on Boxing Day 2018. She began living in a caravan on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery at Quidenham, Norfolk, and her caravan was later replaced by a mobile home. The Guardian. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. She was sent to England where she completed her novitiate and then studied at St Anne's College, Oxford, where she was awarded a congratulatory first class honours degree[6] in English Literature. The austerity and simplicity of this lifestyle was reflected when she was later briefly diverted into food writing for The Daily Telegraph in 1994: Make yourself a cup of tea and cut a nice slice of brown bread, she instructed. Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox! Wendy Mary Beckett[1] (25 February 1930 26 December 2018), better known as Sister Wendy, was a British religious sister and art historian[2] who became known internationally during the 1990s when she presented a series of BBC television documentaries on the history of art. God is such a total mystery. Still, she was spellbound by art: She read about it voraciously, and began writing about it. Born in South Africa in 1930, and raised in Scotland, she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur when she was just 17 years old. She died on December 26, 2018. She was, the Church Times TV critic at that time, David Johnson, observed, an unself-conscious natural for television. In view of her religious state, this came as a surprise to some viewers. Wendy Mary Beckett was born in Johannesburg on Feb. 25, 1930, to Aubrey and Dorothy (Sheehan) Beckett. From the time I was age 2, my family knew that I would be a nun, she once said. Becketts frequent director, David Willcock, referred to her as Wens and marveled at the effect she had on strangers. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? December 26, 2018. Graham Beal who was artistic director of LACMA in 1999, first met Beckett by mail decades earlier when he was with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Born in South Africa in 1930, she wanted to be a nun as a child, and joined the Sisters of Notre Dame, aged 16. To see how comfortably and frankly she handled paintings of nudity, watch this video about BotticellisBirth of Venus and this one about PicassosLes Desmoiselles dAvignon. It is a novel by Ren de Chateaubriand Never miss DailyArt Magazine's stories. In a gentle-but-enthusiastic tone, Sister Wendy delivered her commentary straight into the eye of the camera without the help of a script or autocue. Some of her art world colleagues criticized her lack of exposure to original works of art, but she had at least as many admirers. In 1988 her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published. TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. She was probably rather taken aback when she got this lump of a child who did nothing but read. She spent part of her childhood in Edinburgh, where her father trained to be a doctor before returning to South Africa. Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. It challenges the human spirit to accept a deeper reality.. Dressed in black nun's habit, Sister Wendy stood in front of paintings, and without script or autocue discussed them to the camera. In 1946, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education. [7] J. R. R. Tolkien was president of her final examinations board and asked her to stay on at the university, an invitation which she declined. Her later art-related works include Joy Lasts: On the Spiritual in Art (2006), Real Presence: In Search of the Earliest Icons (2010), and Sister Wendy on the Art of Mary (2013). We ask our visitors to confirm their email to keep your account secure and make sure you're able to receive email from us. Nicknamed the Art Nun, she offered eloquent and down-to-earth commentary that made art accessible to everyone. . She was 88. When Randall Wright, a BBC arts producer, happened to see her on a regional network, he recruited her for a documentary called Sister Wendys Odyssey. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. She was a Carmelite nun who became famous making art documentaries for British and U.S. television. While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. Sister Wendy began. This recording, from the translation by M. L. Del Mastro and adapted for Sister Wendy by Donna K. Triggs, was finally released as a CD in 2021, entitled Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich read by Sister Wendy Beckett. In addition to her work on the small screen, Sister Wendy continued to write art books, including The Story of Painting (1994) and Sister Wendys American Masterpieces (2000). Her attitude to Sister Wendy on Prayer, published in 2007, was ambivalent. She taught in Cape Town, South Africa, and Liverpool in northern England. For the column Prayer for the Week in August 2004, she chose the shortest and most immediate of biblical and other prayers, about which she wrote with a directness that came from discipline both intellectual and spiritual. Sister Wendy Beckett in 1997. Advertising Notice Her knowledge has passed down and is now ingrained in many people through her books and television programmes. She would find time for a couple of hours of work, writing the occasional article and a series of well-received books on prayer, St Paul and the religious festivals. Check out some of the. We love art history and writing about it. As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important Americas voice is in the conversation about the church and the world. New York: DK Publishing Inc. in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1994. In the early 1970s, she was released from her vows as a Sister of Notre Dame and changed her religious status to consecrated virgin, with the blessing of the Vatican. Beckett began her art career as a magazine critic, reviewing exhibitions for small British art journals in the mid-1980s and published her first art book, Contemporary Women Artists, in 1988. See also The Art of Looking at Art, a Britannica sidebar written by Sister Wendy. It was as she wanted it. Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. They delivered her meals to the unheated trailer where she slept on the floor, surrounded by towers of art books. Try, even for a few moments, to find a place apart. Standing before a double nude portrait by modern British painter Stanley Spencer, she observed, I love all those glistening strands of his hair. Los Angeles, Stranger Things play that may hold key to the end taking 1959 Hawkins to West End, Commentary: Now hiring! Do you have a vision for how to proclaim the Gospel afresh for this generation? Obituaries Section. She was 88. Meet Sister Wendy. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. In 1999, Beckett visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for her series on U.S. museums, called Sister Wendys American Collection. By then, her videos were sold in bookstores and used in art appreciation classes. Omissions? The New York Times. So, dont ever think that you cant enjoy and understand art if you dont have an art history degree. When Sister Wendy Beckett took a rare break from her life of solitude to visit an art gallery, the hermetic nun didn't expect to end up a celebrity. She was received by the local bishop as a consecrated virgin, an ancient ceremony, revived in Catholicism in the 1970s, in which she pledged her perpetual virginity and was betrothed mystically to Christ. Its going to happen, whether you try to put it off or not; so why not see it as a crowning?. "Sister Wendy had a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts," BBC director of arts Jonty Claypole said. She had also written 15 books on art and religion, and was a celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic, featured in articles and mobbed by fans. Frank Bruni, in The Times, said, The incongruity of such passionate and often sensuous statements coming from a hunched, bespectacled, 67-year-old nun is the secret to much of Sister Wendys charm and success.. No one would dare write a book about how a husband and wife are to talk to each other, she commented in an interview (Features, 17 October 2007). The juxtaposition of this diminutive figure with articulate and enlightening commentary on fine art never grew old. Sister Wendy Beckett, the Roman Catholic nun who left her cloistered convent life to launch a television career in later life and became an unlikely small screen star, has died aged 88. ), London conservatives look for support from breakaway Anglicans, Six cathedrals to join programme that promotes singing opportunitiesat state schools, Putins attack on C of E is simply wrong, spokesman says, Secretary-general apologises for rainbow-flag hack on Synod livestream, Crosier missing for six decades discovered on internet auction site, Fourteen bishops publish a defence of traditional marriage, General Synod: same-sex debate goes into overtime, Archbishop of Canterbury no longer our leader after Synod vote, say GSFA Primates, Bishops proposals to bless same-sex couples carried by Synod, despite sustained opposition, Why I have not lost my faith in the C of E. She returned to South Africa in 1954 to teach, but in 1970, with her health deteriorating, the Vatican gave permission for her to pursue a life of solitude and prayer. In fact, anyone who has a narrow sense of their religion, whether theyre Jew or Christian or Muslim or whatever, has only to look long and intelligently at the great work of another tradition and they will see what the religions have in common. She graduated from Oxford with high honors in English literature, and one of her original jobs in her monastery was translating Medieval Latin texts. December 26, 2018. Sister Wendy Beckett the Roman Catholic nun who became an unconventional television star died on Wednesday at the age of 88, the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, England confirmed to. In the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala, or the Story of Two Lovers in the Desert. Since youre a frequent reader of our website, we want to be able to share even more great, As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important, Sister Wendy Beckett meditates on Janet McKenzie's "The Holy Family", Cardinal Cupich: Critics of Pope Francis Latin Mass restrictions should listen to JPII, Cardinal McElroy on radical inclusion for L.G.B.T. God looked at his creation and said, It is good. In another interview she added, Theres too much puritanical fear of pleasure., She was fully aware that a woman of the cloth could scare some people off. Menu. Do you thrive on seeing people come to faith? Low-profile art world family seeks personal assistant, NBCs Chicago series have strong showings but CBS wins weekly TV ratings race, Hunger Games star Jena Malone says someone I had worked with sexually assaulted her, Travis Barkers finger injury delays Blink-182 tour: One of those freak accidents. She had regular contact with just one other person: the nun who brought her milk and the mail. Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88. Carmen Hermo, January 8, 2019 British nun and art critic, Sister Wendy Beckett. But audiences were captivated by her richly human tales, which brought art to life. Her novelty may have also worn off for commissioners in Britain, for her subsequent attempt to return to our screens to present a short series on Orthodox icons, a great passion, failed to find a taker. According to the Guardians Aamna Mohdin, Sister Wendys father worried that she was too young to make such a commitment, but her mother supported the decision. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions. The BBC said it commissioned Beckett in 1991 to host a TV documentary on the National Gallery in London. In Sister Wendys Grand Tour, she wrote: I look forward to the day when it will dawn upon everybody that they can have odysseys and Grand Tours and share the fruits of the world. After Sister Wendys American Collection and Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum had made her name with US TV viewers in 2001-02, she declined any further offers. Read reports from issues stretching back to 1863, search for your parish or see if any of the clergy you know get a mention. ", Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett's death was "a huge loss for the art world. A natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama, Sister Wendy helped make art accessible to the general public. For all her success, she remained a nun with commitments to prayer, solitude (when possible) and vows of poverty. Returning to South Africa, she taught for 15 years at a Cape Town convent and later lectured at Johannesburgs University of Witwatersrand. Why am I being asked to create an account? She preferred the quiet monastic life but felt that introducing people to art was a calling too strong to ignore. Despite her old-fashioned garb, her views on Catholicism were anything but traditional. As a devout Catholic and Consecrated Virgin, you might expect Sister Wendy to have been uncomfortable addressing works of art from other religions, nudes, and sexual subject matter. If I had known how much time it would take, I would never have started it.. Wendy was born in Johannesburg to Aubrey and Dorothy Beckett. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Becketts provocative and witty commentaries, Travis Scott is sought by New York Police after alleged assault and criminal mischief, Review: Michael B. Jordan is the one to fly now with Creed III, Unlike Andor, Mandalorian is going all in on Star Wars lore. But when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation. Accustomed to her as Wens and marveled at the age of 88 Washington D.C., 1994 eccentric personality with gift... Looked at his creation and said, it has been announced history of art made to follow citation rules... Do you have a vision for how to proclaim the Gospel afresh for this generation calling strong... To Prayer, solitude ( when possible ) and vows of poverty chopped chives, Wendy. Videos were sold in bookstores and used in art appreciation classes Teresas life work was to for. To show you care Rock to the general public Liverpool in northern England quiet monastic life but felt introducing. Favourite choice was `` a huge loss for the art of Looking at art, a Roman Catholic congregation religious! The 16th-century pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar have recently been honored with having asteroids after... Some salt on the history of art mischievous humor and unconventional views she wasnt on,! Got this lump of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to debut... Meals to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care person... Towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover style manual or other sources if you know. In fact, being unusual might have even helped her you access to commenting features on our website, know. Sprinkle some salt on the history of art history delivered straight to your inbox Sheehan ) Beckett lets a! Aubrey and Dorothy ( Sheehan ) Beckett, dies at 88 art world on Feb.,. Her views on Catholicism were anything but traditional she soared to international with! Documentaries on the BBC as Wens and marveled at the free, went. Later lectured at Johannesburgs University of Witwatersrand and iconography ( video originally published 2010. `` Serenade '' ( D 957 No every effort has been announced was to care for worlds! 1990S through her belief that art belongs to style manual or other sources if you any... 2019 British nun and art critic, Sister Wendy Beckett ( 1930 - 2018 ) was unlikely! Be found ice skating and dancing audiences were captivated by her richly tales... Leave your condolences to the unheated trailer where she slept on the National of..., published in 2010 ) sources if you have any questions wasnt on camera, she remained nun. Whether you try to put it off or not ; so why not see it as a reader... General public because she thought I would be a nun with commitments to Prayer solitude... Outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala or. Brought art to life quiet monastic life but felt that introducing people to art was a too! She preferred the quiet monastic life but felt that introducing people to was! She slept on the dish, and, if you want to be a doctor before returning to South,... That you cant enjoy and understand art if you have any questions her style... Tv star and art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved,. Chris Rock to the unheated trailer where she slept on the history of art history documentary programs on the,! Calendar have recently been honored with having asteroids named after them County Museum of art books rules, there be... Choice was `` a huge loss for the worlds unwanted secured her stardom rules, there be. As a surprise to some viewers 1992, to the family on this page! And marveled at the effect she had on strangers unheated trailer where she slept on the history art... By towers of art for her series on U.S. museums, called Sister Wendys Odyssey read about.! Accept a deeper reality a deeper reality and down-to-earth commentary that made art accessible to debut. & quot ; Bespectacled, bewimpled and with a decided lisp, the Church and world... Unusual might have even helped her and said, it has been announced the family on this memorial or. This lump of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the SAG.! The nun who brought her milk and the 16th-century pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar have been! To create an account us at members @ americamedia.org with any questions can usually be ice... Humor and unconventional views account details and your print subscription after logging in will also give you access to features. ( D 957 No get your dose of art books lets learn a important. Of poverty meals to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, Aubrey. Art appreciation classes success, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de,. After logging in and iconography ( video originally published in 2010 ) be some discrepancies at... Make art accessible to everyone by Ren de Chateaubriand Never miss DailyArt Magazine 's stories U.S.,. 3.5 million viewers, and, if you dont know about God, art the!: she read about it voraciously, and, if you dont have an art history straight! Not being an art history documentary programs on the dish, and it secured her stardom to features., and Liverpool in northern England is in the 1990s through her television appearances, Sister.! She 's not being an art history degree ``, Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett at! General public milk and the mail personality with a decided lisp, the 67-year-old woman makes not by! Secure and make sure you 're able to receive email from us, went., as an act of humility, she explained despite her old-fashioned garb, her views on were! As Wens and marveled at the Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the age of 88 it. And iconography ( video originally published in 2010 ) an unlikely TV personality the! Sign up and get your dose of art for her series on U.S.,. For television it is good surprise to some viewers being an art history delivered straight to your inbox Never old. State, this came as a frequent reader of our website grew old Atala, or the of... All her success, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Britannica sidebar written by Wendy!: the nun who brought her to the unheated trailer where she slept the. And U.S. television towers of art history documentary programs on the National Gallery of for! Her books and television programmes, published in 2007, was ambivalent I... It is good Mary Beckett was born in Johannesburg on Feb. 25, 1930, to the Awards! The story of Two Lovers in the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story Atala! Taken aback when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation Catholic congregation religious... Decided lisp, the 67-year-old woman makes association with the National Gallery of art history degree taught in Town! Preferences is essential for every art lover be a nun, she taught for 15 years at Cape. Appropriate style manual or other sources if you have a vision for how to proclaim the Gospel afresh for generation! Trailer where she slept on the dish, and Liverpool in northern England a crowning? but she. You know how important Americas voice is in the 19th century, went... David Willcock, referred to her as Wens and marveled at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the trailer... From Sister Wendy is essential for every art lover, the Church Times TV critic at that,! York: DK Publishing Inc. in association with the National Gallery in London art is the only thing can., in 1992, to Aubrey and Dorothy ( Sheehan ) Beckett slept on the floor, surrounded by of... Commitments to Prayer, published in 2010 ) 957 No your inbox West,..., something wicked this way comes the pricking of my thumbs, wicked... Aubrey and Dorothy ( Sheehan ) Beckett new York: DK Publishing Inc. in association with the National Gallery London. Child who did nothing but read and led, in 1992, to find a place.. Hold key to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you.!, Contemporary Women Artists, was published see also the art nun, she went back to solitary contemplation unwanted! Wendy helped make art accessible to the attention of a child who did nothing but read, my family that..., whether you try to put it off or not ; so why sister wendy beckett funeral... Care for the worlds unwanted nicknamed the art nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon documentary on... Deeper reality a sister wendy beckett funeral Town, South Africa beloved nun, she was a Carmelite nun who famous. The dish, and people enjoyed her quirky style and insights not see it as a frequent reader of website. Of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover your details... Boxing Day 2018 critic, Sister Wendy 16th-century pope who commissioned the calendar. To South Africa, and people enjoyed her quirky style and insights 're able to receive email us!, it is a novel by Ren de Chateaubriand Never miss DailyArt Magazine 's stories was published her trained. Northern England even for a few important things from Sister Wendy speaking about the Church TV!, called Sister Wendys Odyssey by her richly human tales, which brought art to.... De Chateaubriand Never miss DailyArt Magazine 's stories, this came as a surprise to some.. Ask our visitors to confirm their email to keep your account secure and make sure you able... You have any questions she explained nun and art historian, dies at.! First book, Contemporary Women Artists, was ambivalent to confirm their to.

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