She once said she persisted because she had a calling to talk about art in ways the average person could appreciate. A scene inside the Vatican from Sister Wendys Story of Painting, one of her many BBC series. Please visit ourmembership pageto learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation. Many are available at local libraries, and you can also see clips of her documentaries on YouTube. The piece caught the eye of a British Broadcasting Company (BBC) producer, and in 1992 Sister Wendys Odyssey made its debut. Sister Wendys Grand Tour: Discovering Europes Greatest Art. Sister Wendy Beckett . Yet, this relationship between arts is not unidirectional. 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 PEOPLE. For all of her unique features as a commentator, it was Becketts ease in describing nude paintings that most confounded her viewers. 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 the most improbable art critics in television history, died on Wednesday in the village of East Harling, England. You have a cold heart.. (Jay) and Nicole (Tyler); her sister Cheri; and her grandchildren, Lochlan, Beckett, Evera and Nessaya. Her book Art and the Sacred was published in 1992. [12], Beckett was often effusively verbal in her descriptions of the human body in paintings, both male and female. Sister Wendy began stud This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sister-Wendy-Beckett, PBS Online - Sister Wendy's American Collection. This unlikely celebrity eventually traveled the world, recording documentaries for British and U.S. television and writing numerous books. [33], Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Sister Wendy Beckett, (born February 25, 1930, Johannesburg, South Africadied December 26, 2018, East Harling, England), South African-born British nun who appeared on a series of popular television shows and wrote a number of books as an art critic. I think that this type of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover. She in turn contributed most of her income to the convent. At 16, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in England and began religious life as Sister Michael. 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. She wrote, asking for a catalog of a George Segal sculpture exhibit. She called her television debut at the Norfolk gallery the fatal moment, in her interview with the Times. A natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama, Sister Wendy helped make art accessible to the general public. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. She never liked her Catholic parents choice of name. I do not use the word died, as someone with Sister Wendy's warmth, faith and devotion to share her knowledge does not die. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. Dont think, fat little bloke, she said. Do you thrive on seeing people come to faith? December 26, 2018. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions. I spend a lot of time looking at and reading about art, but I still came away with a new appreciation and perspective after watching videos like this one. Her caravan in the grounds of the Carmel was small, cold and basic, but was crammed with postcards and calendars of works of art. She joined a convent at 16 and started studying fine art in the 1980s. She spoke very comfortably and often highly of such works. As he drove his spear through her throat, she said, their eyes met, and he saw how young she was and how lovely and brave. Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series, published in July 2011. If you dont know about God, art is the only thing that can set you free., After Sister Wendys appearance in the National Gallery documentary, the Controller of BBC2 rang the films director with the instruction: Give that nun a series.. Sister Wendys Book of Saints, published in 1998, was well received. sister wendy beckett by TIM - YouTube thoughts about sister Wendy Beckett who died on 26th December thoughts about sister Wendy Beckett who died on 26th December. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. It launched her television career. We can't do it without youAmerica Media relies on generous support from our readers. Later that year, she advised on coping with a family Christmas. My time is for God. Take it and sit by the window in the sunlight and slowly and reverently eat this dish., Her first book on art, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Seen on PBS. 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. 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. Interview with Clive Anderson, BBC Radio 2, 28 January 2007, Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical, "World of Sister Wendy Beckett, nun and art historian", "Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88", "Sister Wendy Beckett British nun and art critic", "Sister Wendy Beckett | British nun and art critic", "Sister Wendy At The Norton Simon Museum", "500 Years On, The Vatican Museums Go Digital", "Sister Wendy's American Collection About the Series Buy the Book", "BBC Four Churches: How to Read Them, Reformation: Chaos and Creation", "BBC Four Arena, Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel", "Arena Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel", "She May Not Get Out Much, but She Does Know a Lot About Art", "BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs, Sister Wendy Beckett", "Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88", "Wendy Beckett Books List of books by author Wendy Beckett", "Publication: The Christ Journey Sister Wendy Beckett reflects on the art of Greg Tricker", "Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art 9780854397525 by Beckett, Wendy- St Pauls Publishing of 0/11/2008", "Speaking to the Heart: 100 Favourite Poems by Wendy Beckett - Books", "Sister Wendy Beckett - British nun and art critic", "Inner Life: A Fellow Traveler's Guide to Prayer", "The Duke and the Peasant: Life in the Middle Ages (Adventures in Art Series)", "Nonfiction Book Review: Mystical Now C by Sister Wendy Beckett, Author, Wendy Beckett, Author Universe Publishing(NY) $25.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-87663-647-3", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wendy_Beckett&oldid=1126090621, This page was last edited on 7 December 2022, at 13:18. Asked once to explain her choice, she said, I am a nun. Theyre concerned with the big, beautiful fundamentals, and there I have never had any problem. Video, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked minister's messages, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Whiskey fungus forces Jack Daniels to stop construction, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Messages reveal battle over Covid school policy, Covid messages leak a massive betrayal - Hancock, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, India PM Modi urges G20 to overcome divisions, Aboriginal spears taken in 1770 to return to Sydney. After graduating in style, however, she soldiered on for 17 years in convent schools in South Africa, feeling she had no alternative, until finally her health collapsed. Her programmes included Odyssey, Sister Wendy's Grand Tour and Sister Wendy's Story of Painting. The Guardian. Born in South Africa, Sister Wendy moved as a child to Edinburgh, where her father studied medicine, joining a convent when she was 16. Her most ambitious series, Sister Wendys Story of Painting, took her 30,000 miles through Europe, the Middle East and the United States, to survey works ranging from prehistoric cave paintings in France to the masterpieces of Picasso and the Pop Art of Andy Warhol. 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. Climb the mountain. We love art history and writing about it. But far from it! Beckett had begun studying art in the 1980s after a series of health struggles had pulled her away from her 15-year teaching career the Vatican granting her permission to pursue a life of solitude and prayer, the BBC reported. Afflicted by stress-induced epileptic fits, she returned to England and became a consecrated virgin, moving into a caravan in the grounds of the Carmelite convent at Quidenham, in Norfolk, and working on Latin translation. She was a hit, a natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama that made art accessible to the general public. She also suggested that she only said yes to the BBC because she felt the need to make a small financial contribution to the monastery for her keep and had been forced by ill health to give up her work as a translator of medieval Latin manuscripts in the late 70s. A word that appears frequently is unwanted. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the . We ask our visitors to confirm their email to keep your account secure and make sure you're able to receive email from us. 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. Brigit Katz is a freelance writer based in Toronto. Soon enough, you will be saying with Peter, Lord, it is good that we are here., Cardinal Wilton Gregory said that Pope Francis has made it difficult for Americans to be comfortable with just one aspect of Catholic Social Teachingyouve got to have them all.. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. From Macbeth to Romeo and Juliet, William Three monotheistic religions are the so-called religions of the book. She knew many of these artworks only from reproductions, and the part of the shows magic was capturing the moment she encountered these works for the first time in person. There she lived in a house trailer with only the most basic amenities, working two hours a day. Through her television appearances, Sister Wendy endeavored to make their genius accessible. Her health was never good she had suffered from a weak heart since childhood and could very quickly run out of energy in mid-take. [3] Her programmes, such as Sister Wendy's Odyssey and Sister Wendy's Grand Tour, often drew a 25 percent share of the British viewing audience. Read reports from issues stretching back to 1863, search for your parish or see if any of the clergy you know get a mention. She had a a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts, remembers Jonty Claypole, director of arts at the BBC, which broadcasted Sister Wendys programs. . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Filmed in 100 days, the series was broadcast in Britain by the BBC in 1996 and in the United States by PBS in 1997. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett, the cloistered nun who ventured out of seclusion to . To those who regarded her life as a hermit and a TV celebrity as self-contradictory, the response lay in her sense of obedience. She had a gift for storytelling and drama, as well as a clear passion for her subject matter. Once she had finished her degree, Sister Wendy returned to South Africa and spent some 20 years teaching in convent schools. 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. It was as she wanted it. I am prepared to marvel at their inexplicable enthusiasm.. For many people, including . Submit an Obituary . [9] Later she moved to Johannesburg where she was appointed the superior of the local convent, while she also lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand. From an early age she intended to become a nun, and at 16 she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a teaching order, as Sister Michael of St. Peter. It seemed to her a modest venture. Maintaining her vow of poverty, she donated all her earnings to the Carmelite order. Be still; let the wonder become real to you; accept the child as Lord; and thank him for such inconceivable love. Her insights into the artists she encountered on screen struck a chord with many who had previously lacked the vocabulary and the confidence to feel at home in art galleries. It is a novel by Ren de Chateaubriand Never miss DailyArt Magazine's stories. 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. Years after she had given up on television, I took her on a trip round some London exhibitions and we were constantly stopped by people wanting to know when she would be back on the small screen. 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). It was a magical moment of television, too. The Republican Homepage. But her health began to faltershe was epilepticand she was permitted to pursue the life of a hermit near a convent of Carmelite nuns in East Anglia. Sympathy Ideas . But her unorthodox spiritual insights suggested otherwise. Speaking to PBS in 2000 about her U.S. series, Sister Wendys American Collection, she said, I hope that everybody who watches it will realize what art has for them; that this is their heritage, that they are foolish not to explore it, and that the exploration is pleasurable., Brigit Katz Give yourself over to contemplation. She graduated from Oxford University as an honor student in literature in 1954 but taught herself the history of art from the hermits trailer where she lived on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery in Norfolk, England. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018), contemplative nun and consecrated virgin, delighted audiences worldwide with her lively BBC documentaries on the history of art. Through this the two became good friends. Sister Wendy never sought a life in the spotlight. 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. Sister Wendys Story of Painting was one of my first art books as a child. The New York Times. [8], Outside her academic work, she lived in a convent which maintained the strict code of silence typical in convents prior to the changes following the Second Vatican Council (19621965). While she always loved art, she only started studying it after she became too sick to continue her translation work. Beckett was born in South Africa and raised in Scotland. Her appearance in an ITV programme, Visions, described as a beautiful vignette, was followed two years later by her own programme, Sister Wendys Odyssey. She would get up at 1am, the best time for prayer and contemplation, she said. She graduated at the top of her class. Menu. Terms of Use As her fame grew, her passion for military history, crossword puzzles and detective stories became public knowledge. Sister Wendy died on December 26, 2018 at the age of 88. Sister Wendy. Sister Wendy Beckett was a BBC presenter and art historian. Sister Wendy was great. The nun passed away on Boxing Day 2018 at the age of 88 - here's everything you need to know about her. 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. Its a trivial little name. She always returned to the austere seclusion that was her home for nearly a half-century, although her trailer was upgraded in 1994. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. (Orbis/Twitter via @carmelitespirit) Back in the 1990s, Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018), a contemplative nun and consecrated virgin, delighted audiences worldwide with her lively BBC documentaries on the history of art. The routine she followed in the caravan was both simple and extraordinary. As a hermit, she did not feel the need to belong to any particular order. In her passion for self-denial, she had not seen a movie since 1945, visited a museum or even seen a great painting, only reproductions in books. It was to her that we turned, in 2009, for a review of a book about the darkness in Mother Teresas life: This woman who felt that there was no God and lived in emotional anguish was also profoundly aware, intellectually, that God was her total life and that she lived only to love him. Eye of a British Broadcasting Company ( BBC ) producer, and you can also see clips her! Fine art in ways the average person could appreciate see clips of income. 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