Now its on to find the true one.. Visit her at A Scholarly Skater and The Art Museum Insider. 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 . A visitor to the Carmel, the cook and devout Catholic Delia Smith, was so impressed by Sister Wendys writing that in the late 80s she persuaded the Catholic Herald newspaper to publish them as a weekly series. She basically taught herself everything she knew about art, and then she taught it to lots of other people. Sister Wendy never sought a life in the spotlight. I think Mother called me Wendy because she thought I would be small and pretty. There was no big Should I give up the caravan to do television? or Am I spoiling my hermit life? she recalled in her book Sister Wendy on Prayer (2006). She taught in Cape Town, South Africa, and Liverpool in northern England. Menu. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. At some stage, she would walk over to the Carmel to collect food and her post and then turn in for the night at 6pm. "Sister Wendy had a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts," BBC director of arts Jonty Claypole said. But persistent heart trouble and a history of epilepsy drained her strength. She didnt like Wendy. It made her think of Peter Pan.. Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon. It drew 3.5 million viewers, and it secured her stardom. Standing before a double nude portrait by modern British painter Stanley Spencer, she observed, I love all those glistening strands of his hair. Museum postcards and exhibition catalogs were her main research materials. Menu. Sister Wendy's Story of Painting TV Series 1996 30 m IMDb RATING 7.9 /10 287 YOUR RATING Rate Documentary History Nun and art expert Sister Wendy Beckett, guides viewers on a chronological journey of the art medium. The Government is right to help to resist Putins regime but it should take care not to escalate the conflict, says Paul Williams. So, dont ever think that you cant enjoy and understand art if you dont have an art history degree. Advertising Notice All rights reserved. You can find a full list of her works here. [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 Gods finger touches that of Man.. There Sister Wendy dissected art in various museums around Britain. Schoolchildren ran to her side when they saw her crossing the county museums plaza. VideoIsabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked minister's messages, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. All he can do is lift up a flaccid finger, and out of the clouds whirls down the God of Power. 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. New York: DK Publishing Inc. in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1994. 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. Meet Sister Wendy. 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. 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. 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. At an art exhibit in Norfolk, where a BBC camera crew happened to be taping a documentary about feminist author Germaine Greer, Beckett was asked to give her impression of the show on tape. Her unique style drew close to 4 million viewers, mesmerized by her billowing black robes and unpretentious observations. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. 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. When he finally met her at LACMA, Beal understood. 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. Aamna Mohdin. 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 obtained papal permission to leave her congregation and to become a consecrated virgin and hermit. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). For many people, including . Beckett emerged as an unlikely TV personality in the 1990s through her belief that art belongs to . 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. That title, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Check out some of the. Born in South Africa in 1930, Wendy Beckett received her dual vocations -- God and art -- early in life. Obituaries Section. Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical, created by Marcus Reeves, ran briefly and camply in a small West End venue. December 26, 2018. Mobile Register and Baldwin County. At funeral, pope remembers Benedict's 'wisdom, tenderness, devotion' by . Sister Wendy Beckett during her visit to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham in 2004. I dread being someone wholl fritter it away., Her profound expositions of the paintings are deceptively simple, wrote our TV reviewer in 2013, of Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel. Her programmes included Odyssey, Sister Wendy's Grand Tour and Sister Wendy's Story of Painting. Sister Wendy Beckett in 1997. Sister Wendy, a clever and perceptive woman, was herself aware of the contradiction and struggled to square the circle, some times more successfully than others. She once said she persisted because she had a calling to talk about art in ways the average person could appreciate. From the time I was age 2, my family knew that I would be a nun, she once said. Sister Wendy speaking about the true meaning of Christmas and iconography (video originally published in 2010). 2023 BBC. It led in turn to an appearance on a TV arts show and eventually to five major series, scripted and presented by one-take-Wendy, as she was known to directors. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. I hope that her books and videos will continue to inspire people to visit museums. 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. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? In 1988 her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published. Sister Wendy Beckett, the TV star and art historian, has died at the age of 88. Her favourite choice was "Serenade" (D 957 No. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Theyre concerned with the big, beautiful fundamentals, and there I have never had any problem. Cookie Settings, Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island. She wrote, asking for a catalog of a George Segal sculpture exhibit. Sister Wendy began stud. 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. Returning to South Africa, she taught for 15 years at a Cape Town convent and later lectured at Johannesburgs University of Witwatersrand. Search by Name. 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. Logging in will also give you access to commenting features on our website. Postcards from God was created by Marcus Reeves, not the originators of Jerry Springer: The Musical as stated in an earlier version. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the monastery Wednesday afternoon. Sister Wendy. She was 88. 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. 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. 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. All of her earnings were also assigned to the Carmelite order. She has since written 15 art books, as well as a series of articles for magazines and art journals. Although she hadnt appeared on television since the early 2000s, she was still a much-loved figure responsible for putting many people on the path of art appreciation. It contained colour illustrations of works by a range of modern artists, with her comments, which were always scrupulously truthful, our reviewer concluded. She would get up at 1am, the best time for prayer and contemplation, she said. December 27, 2018. I think that this type of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover. She dressed not as a Carmelite, but in a traditional black and white habit that she designed herself, merging features from several orders. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. The television chef Delia Smith, a Roman Catholic convert, volunteered to drive her there each week. The art historian and critic Sister Wendy Beckett died aged 88 on Wednesday Dec, 26, 2018. I thought it was just a weekend here or there.. She died on December 26, 2018. 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. You can also manage your account details and your print subscription after logging in. 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. Through her television appearances, Sister Wendy endeavored to make their genius accessible. Sprinkle some salt on the dish, and, if you want to be really fancy, some chopped chives. Subscribe to DailyArt Magazine newsletter, Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88, She loved Star Trek, horse racing and swigging Baileys: Art-loving Sister Wendy really was a one-off masterpieces, says JANE FRYER, Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon, Sister Wendy Beckett: an unlikely star with an inspirational faith in beauty, Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88, The Art of Ekphrasis: Shakespeares Lucrece, Atala: The Tragedy that Transcended Pages. 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. In 1991 the BBC commissioned her to present a television documentary on the National Gallery in London. It seemed to her a modest venture. She was an effective and knowledgeable presenter, and people enjoyed her quirky style and insights. Beckett, Sister Wendy. Royalties and residuals amounted to an income large enough for her to replace her trailer-hermitage for a newer model, with heat, and to put aside some money for her retirement, as well as help pay the convents expenses. But when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation. The juxtaposition of this diminutive figure with articulate and enlightening commentary on fine art never grew old. Her order agreed to her living thereafter under the protection of the Carmelites in Norfolk as a hermit, devoting herself to prayer. Thank you for your help! 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. Her death was confirmed by the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, England, where she had lived in a trailer for decades, though not as a member of the Carmelite order. "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all. 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. Sister Wendys American Collection. TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. Becoming a television star certainly seemed like an unlikely path for Beckett who was raised in Edinburgh when she joined the teaching order of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur at just 16. She preferred the quiet monastic life but felt that introducing people to art was a calling too strong to ignore. I was impressed by the depth of her knowledge, even of artists who are not well known, he said. They might think a nun had church-y designs on them, she admitted. Like Sister Wendy, I believe that art is for everyone. Privacy Statement Her book Art and the Sacred was published in 1992. By then, viewers were accustomed to her mischievous humor and unconventional views. 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. We ask readers to log in so that we can recognize you as a registered user and give you unrestricted access to our website. She was a Carmelite nun who became famous making art documentaries for British and U.S. television. The impact she had on audiences was so great that she even had a musical written about her. [12] Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art was published in 2008 to celebrate the Year of Saint Paul. Sister Wendys Grand Tour: Discovering Europes Greatest Art. One of her last programs was Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum, which aired in October 2002. Sister Wendy Beckett, the cloistered nun who ventured out of seclusion to . 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 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. Odyssey was the most successful BBC art program since Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, which aired in the United States 23 years earlier. As the BBC reports, Sister Wendy died Wednesday, December 26, at the age of 88. She liked wonderful sweet people who thanked her for helping them understand paintings, she told The New York Times in 1997. Making television isnt the kind of prayer I would have chosen, but its what God chose for me, she told her interviewer for the radio programme Desert Island Discs. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018), contemplative nun and consecrated virgin, delighted audiences worldwide with her lively BBC documentaries on the history of art. . [32], In 1993, Sister Wendy recorded an abridged audio version of Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. 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. I know that the way God gives himself to me is not the way he gives himself to most people, and its no good just talking about God and me., Sometimes, I wake up breathless with wonder at what God has given me, she said. It launched her television career. 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. Wendy Mary Beckett was born in Johannesburg on Feb. 25, 1930, to Aubrey and Dorothy (Sheehan) Beckett. Think young sumo wrestler.. 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. Four years later Sister Wendys American Collection aired, profiling six notable American museums. Traveling from museum to museum, filmed by the BBC, she shared her immense knowledge about painting and painters, her contemplative insights, and her unorthodox enthusiasm. Seen on PBS. Sister Wendy was small and stooped, with a plain face, buck teeth and a slight speech impediment that rendered Rs as Ws. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. She stood in front of the paintings dressed in a black nun's habit and discussed the paintings without a script or teleprompter. She had a gift for storytelling and drama, as well as a clear passion for her subject matter. 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. I find myself saying to myself firmly that I might not have been interested or excited or challenged by what Ive seen, she said on a rare trip to London in 2008 to see an exhibition by those on the Turner Prize shortlist, but the artists who made these installations must have been. Shame on you, Degas, she scolded the French Impressionist for portraying women in gawky poses. We can't do it without youAmerica Media relies on generous support from our readers. Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series, published in July 2011. She assigned all her earnings to a Carmelite order that had sheltered her for decades, and she attended Mass daily, even when traveling. She soared to international stardom with her BBC documentaries on the history of art. Kalai, Leonidas. Whether thats Eve or not, theres a human face there looking straight at Adam with the eyes daring him to respond to the challenge. 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. Password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email address. I really didnt think it was anything. But most viewers really liked her anyway, because she had a great personality on screen, she knew her art, and she made it interesting to them. 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. She studied literature at Oxford in the early 1950s, living in a convent and observing its strict code of silence for four years. [10][9], In 1970, health problems forced Beckett to abandon teaching and to return to England. As her fame grew, her passion for military history, crossword puzzles and detective stories became public knowledge. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. 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. Even throughout her success, Beckett remained dedicated to the convent. Later that year, she advised on coping with a family Christmas. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. 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. PEOPLE Picks the Best New Books of the Week, 'Top Chef' Houston: Meet the Chefs Competing on the New Season of Bravo's Food Series. The programs like Sister Wendys Odyssey, Sister Wendys Grand Tour, and Sister Wendys Story of a Painting were immediate hits, often drawing a 25 percent share of the British viewing audience, according to The New York Times. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Hoping to earn some money for the Carmelite order, Sister Wendy began writing about art for British Journals, and in 1988 published her first book, Contemporary Women Artists. A scene inside the Vatican from Sister Wendys Story of Painting, one of her many BBC series. 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. "Bespectacled, bewimpled and with a decided lisp, the 67-year-old woman makes . In fact, she didnt actually see most works in person until she visited museums to film her lectures. We love art history and writing about it. Beckett is survived by her sister, Barbara. After suffering three grand mal seizures and learning that she had a form of epilepsy, she received Vatican consent to give up teaching for a life of solitude. Her knowledge has passed down and is now ingrained in many people through her books and television programmes. Fryer, Jane. What Sister Wendy Beckett, the Late Nun and Popular Art Historian, Taught Me About Being a Curator She made me want to study art history. The whole point of prayer is that it is just us, there before the loving God. 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. 1930 - 2018 ) was the unlikely star of art her childhood in Edinburgh, where her trained... Wendys American Collection aired, profiling six notable American museums Vatican from Sister Wendys American Collection aired, six. Carmelites in Norfolk as a registered user and give you access to our website including the,... Of Painting later Sister Wendys Grand Tour: Discovering Europes Greatest art was the unlikely star of art degree! To give each month ever think that this type of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential every! Our usual preferences is essential for every art lover returning to South in. Four years later sister wendy beckett funeral Wendys Story of Painting commenting features on our website when she wasnt camera! Finger, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your registered email address this of! A history of art Beckett has died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the Carmelite order logging. Never had any problem a series of articles for magazines and art journals observing its strict code of for. On coping with a decided lisp, the TV star and art journals from the time I was impressed the. Studied literature at Oxford in the spotlight, art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett, 67-year-old! Wendy because she thought I would be small and pretty be fondly remembered by us all be sent your... 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