Sister Wendy. Sister Wendy eventually wrote some 25 books, including collections of poetry and meditations, and made a dozen documentaries, many released on DVD. Sympathy Ideas . I loved listening to her talk about art. Los Angeles, Stranger Things play that may hold key to the end taking 1959 Hawkins to West End, Commentary: Now hiring! We love art history and writing about it. Every contribution, however big or small, is very valuable for our future. Sister Wendy began stud 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. Sister Wendys Story of Painting. She was a Carmelite nun who became famous making art documentaries for British and U.S. television. Through this the two became good friends. Her knowledge has passed down and is now ingrained in many people through her books and television programmes. Wendy's family welcomes you to join a mass service at 11:00 on Thursday February 23, 2023 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) in Kamloops BC, followed by a Celebration of . [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. She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all.. It was a slightly daunting task to contact her, but no less daunting was the tiny handwriting in which her contributions returned. 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. When Sister Wendy Beckett first shared her love of European paintings with public television viewers in 1997, the New York Times observed that the 67-year-old nun from a British monastery was . TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. 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. So, dont ever think that you cant enjoy and understand art if you dont have an art history degree. Theyre considered the most successful BBC arts programs since art historian Kenneth Clarks landmark 1969 documentaries, Civilisation. In moments of candour, though, she would admit that she liked to share knowledge she had originally joined a teaching order, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, in 1947, but had to give up the classroom after having epileptic seizures brought on by stress. She assigned all her earnings to a Carmelite order that had sheltered her for decades, and she attended Mass daily, even when traveling. 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This was the main reason she ventured outside her beloved life of solitude to help people experience the joys and spiritual benefits of fine art, which she believed should be shared by all. Sister Wendys American Collection. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). They delivered her meals to the unheated trailer where she slept on the floor, surrounded by towers of art books. A natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama, Sister Wendy helped make art accessible to the general public. Sister Wendy Beckett in 1997. In 1946, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. The impact she had on audiences was so great that she even had a musical written about her. Its clear from just a quick glance at one of her videos that Sister Wendy truly believed in the power of art and beauty. From an early age she wanted to be a nun, and at age 16 she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame. [12], Beckett was often effusively verbal in her descriptions of the human body in paintings, both male and female. She was a brilliant art critic. | READ MORE. While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. Search by Name. Born Wendy Mary Beckett in Johannesburg, she moved as a child to Scotland, in 1946 joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a teaching order, and earned a degree in . Submit an Obituary. Fryer, Jane. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. In 1954 Sister Wendy completed her teaching diploma in Liverpool and returned to South . She became Sister Wendy after Vatican reforms relaxed formalities. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Like Sister Wendy, I believe that art is for everyone. Sister Wendy was well educated, but not in art history. 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. I have an electric kettle, fridge, warming oven and night storage heater, so my life is as comfortable as it needs to be., Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/26/obituaries/sister-wendy-beckett-dead.html. I will always be a nun. She had spent more than 20 years in a convent, perfecting the ways of religious life. Sister Wendy was definitely not what you would expect in either an art critic or a television personality. 2. Brigit Katz is a freelance writer based in Toronto. 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. 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. She and Michelangelo are no doubt having an in depth eternal discussion about the latters art work in the Sistine Chapel. Quite simply, they justify her reputation as one of the foremost art critics of our time, and one of the most accessible.. For all of her unique features as a commentator, it was Becketts ease in describing nude paintings that most confounded her viewers. Health problems combined with the dream of a contemplative life, which she had abandoned when she entered her order of teaching nuns, led Beckett back to England. A person can pray and read at the same time., Often in frail health, she spent most of her public life in a wheelchair and only stood up to deliver her light, witty comments before the camera. Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more. She called her television debut at the Norfolk gallery the fatal moment, in her interview with the Times. It was only a feeling: it was not reality., Death is the climax of our life, when we pass into the presence of God, Sister Wendy observed in 2012. . Yet, this relationship between arts is not unidirectional. Born in South Africa, Sister Wendy moved as a child to Edinburgh, where her father studied medicine, joining a convent when she was 16. Dont think, fat little bloke, she said. 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. All of her earnings were also assigned to the Carmelite order. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. I do not use the word died, as someone with Sister Wendy's warmth, faith and devotion to share her knowledge does not die. Privacy Statement 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. Aside from the sheer novelty of having a nun on mainstream television unknown since the brief chart-topping career of Jeanine Deckers, the Singing Nun of the early 1960s Sister Wendys success rested largely on her formidable intellect (she received a congratulatory first in English from St Annes College, Oxford, in 1953) and her sure-footed ability to bridge the gulf between fine art and a popular audience. ", Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett's death was "a huge loss for the art world. 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. But her unorthodox spiritual insights suggested otherwise. She was 88. This is an exciting opportunity to oversee and further develop our formal programme for the development of curates (IME Phase 2). Rapidly establishing herself as an unconventional and engaging commentator, fizzing with enthusiasm, she became a household name in the 1990s, in spite of the life of seclusion which she maintained between television recording sessions. Beckett's death was a huge loss for the art world. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sister-Wendy-Beckett, PBS Online - Sister Wendy's American Collection. She was 88. He added: "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all.". In 1988 her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published. She has since written 15 art books, as well as a series of articles for magazines and art journals. PBS / WGBH Educational Foundation, 2001. When asked once what she felt about God, she replied, sharply: I dont think anyone can feel God. 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. As the BBC reports, Sister Wendy died Wednesday, December 26, at the age of 88. Church Times 2023. Some people who were mainly other art historians and public figures didnt appreciate her black habit, big teeth, or lack of formal art history training. She once observed: It is my apostolic duty to talk about art. 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. Until she was 61, she had been a model of worldly renunciation: a hermit living in a windowless trailer on the grounds of the Carmelite Monastery in East Anglia, subsisting mainly on skim milk and rarely speaking to anyone. Adams sprawled there in his naked male glory, but hes not alive, she told viewers in 1996. For all her success, she remained a nun with commitments to prayer, solitude (when possible) and vows of poverty. Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In order to earn money for her convent, she agreed to do a television series about fine art for the BBC, and she quickly became famous. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. All rights reserved. She died at 14:30 GMT at the Carmelite monastery in Quidenham. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox! 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. Later that year, she advised on coping with a family Christmas. Sprinkle some salt on the dish, and, if you want to be really fancy, some chopped chives. My heart sinks when the word God is bandied around glibly., Wendy Mary Beckett, nun and art critic, born 25 February 1930; died 26 December 2018. Wendy Mary Beckett was born in Johannesburg on Feb. 25, 1930, to Aubrey and Dorothy (Sheehan) Beckett. And her views on God were challenging. Sister Wendy began. As well as more shows, she now gained opportunities to be a published writer on specifically religious subjects, such as the saints, icons, and prayer. [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. 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. [10][9], In 1970, health problems forced Beckett to abandon teaching and to return to England. Standing before a double nude portrait by modern British painter Stanley Spencer, she observed, I love all those glistening strands of his hair. You make such a fool of yourself.. Do you have a vision for how to proclaim the Gospel afresh for this generation? In December 2012 Sister Wendy was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. 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. Yet, while the contradiction could irritate some devout Catholics she was giving, they said, a misleading impression of religious life it was, for most, a key part of her appeal and brought her programmes large audiences. In 1991 the BBC commissioned her to present a television documentary on the National Gallery in London. Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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. Contemporary Women Artists, published in 1988, was followed by more books and articles. Now its on to find the true one.. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the monastery Wednesday afternoon. Many are available at local libraries, and you can also see clips of her documentaries on YouTube. Sister Wendy Beckett was a BBC presenter and art historian. The art historian and critic Sister Wendy Beckett died aged 88 on Wednesday Dec, 26, 2018. She would get up at 1am, the best time for prayer and contemplation, she said. ), 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. [13], Beckett required medical treatment as an outpatient at a local hospital.[when?] A word that appears frequently is unwanted. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. 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. 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. Menu. In 2001 poor health and a desire to return to a life of solitude led Sister Wendy to announce that she was ending her BBC series. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018), contemplative nun and consecrated virgin, delighted audiences worldwide with her lively BBC documentaries on the history of art. At the British Museum, standing beside a Greek wine jar painted 2,500 years ago, she embroidered the portrayal of Achilles slaying Penthesilea, the Amazon queen, at the fall of Troy. Oxford University List of Members for the Year 1972, London, OUP, 1972, p.720, which records full name. . 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. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. She also penned books that focused solely on religion, notably Sister Wendy on Prayer (2010) and Spiritual Letters (2013). Find an Obituary. Search by Name. 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. She dressed not as a Carmelite, but in a traditional black and white habit that she designed herself, merging features from several orders. Nun and art critic who found fame in the 1990s with her popular TV programmes, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. She was 88. December 26, 2018. Non-subscribers canreadfour articles for free each month. 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. Menu. . Critics pointed to her gapped teeth and her way of pronouncing r as if it were w. Her producers were more impressed by the pithy, ad-lib analyses she could fit neatly into a soundbite, a feat that won her a reputation as one-take Wendy., From the airing of her first series, Sister Wendys Odyssey, in 1992, she evaluated artworks as if the artist were standing beside her. Eventually, she decided to publish an art book to earn money for the convent. To explore the Church Times website fully, please sign in or subscribe. It is not that they were strong enough, or virtuous enough, to win his love, because that love is always freely given, but only those we call saints actually did that blessed taking; accepted the reality of being loved with all its consequences, she wrote. I am prepared to marvel at their inexplicable enthusiasm.. 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.. They have rejected the false god. Her great delight was reading, and, after studying at St Annes College, she graduated with a Congratulatory First in English Literature from Oxford J. R. R. Tolkein led the applause before spending two decades working as a teacher something that she regarded as a martyrdom. Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. Your Privacy Rights 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. Presenter and art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it been. Oxford University List of Members for the convent more books and articles end... ] [ 9 ], in 1970, health problems forced Beckett to abandon teaching to., books, as well as a subscriber, you have a vision how! Added: `` she was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all 88 Wednesday! 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