Sprinkle some salt on the dish, and, if you want to be really fancy, some chopped chives. ", Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett's death was "a huge loss for the art world. Sister Wendy died on December 26, 2018 at the age of 88. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [33], Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. So, dont ever think that you cant enjoy and understand art if you dont have an art history degree. Sister Wendy speaking about the true meaning of Christmas and iconography (video originally published in 2010). In the late 1990s, Sister Wendy Beckett visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for her series on U.S. museums. Time Magazine. 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. It contained colour illustrations of works by a range of modern artists, with her comments, which were always scrupulously truthful, our reviewer concluded. Behind her gentle, toothy smile, though, Sister Wendy could be fierce. 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). 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. Ive no time for gardening and letter-writing, the usual let-outs for those who are alone.. Surely, most people would be deeply moved by this programme, and drawn to the conclusion that there might be more to this Christianity stuff than they had ever thought., SISTER MARGARET DEWEY SSM, who died on 8 June, aged 94, belonged to an upstate New York family, whose ancestors arrived from England in the 17th century. She soared to international stardom with her BBC documentaries on the history of art. In 1991, a BBC producer, Nicholas Rossiter, persuaded her to do a stand-up documentary about Britains National Gallery, talking about its paintings. 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. 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. 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. Find an Obituary. In 1988 her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published. She was 88. Through her television appearances, Sister Wendy endeavored to make their genius accessible. 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. Our Diocesan Mission & Ministry Committee exists to help each congregation to grow in their mission and ministry under this vision, and wishes to appoint to a new post to support its work. It seemed to her a modest venture. The series was a hit, and Sister Wendy, a habit-wearing consecrated virgin with a speech impediment, became the most unlikeliest of stars. 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. They might think a nun had church-y designs on them, she admitted. 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. Sister Wendy began stud 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. [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. This unlikely celebrity eventually traveled the world, recording documentaries for British and U.S. television and writing numerous books. See also The Art of Looking at Art, a Britannica sidebar written by Sister Wendy. 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. Schoolchildren ran to her side when they saw her crossing the county museums plaza. She would get up at 1am, the best time for prayer and contemplation, she said. Prior to that, she had studied English literature at Oxford University and taught in her native homeland of South Africa. Yet, this relationship between arts is not unidirectional. When she's not being an art historian, she can usually be found ice skating and dancing. Sister Wendy. December 31, 2018. He added: "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all.". Beckett, Sister Wendy. She claimed to not really like either the travel or the attention involved in her endeavors, but she said she felt good when hearing from people who were positively impacted by her work. 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. It was seen in some of her verdicts on modern artists who failed to interest her, though cloaked as ever in a show of nun-like Christian charity. 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. In 1970, she returned to England and moved into the trailer at the Carmelite Monastery. It was a magical moment of television, too. Dont think, fat little bloke, she said. Wendy Mary Beckett was born in Johannesburg on Feb. 25, 1930, to Aubrey and Dorothy (Sheehan) Beckett. 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 . Non-subscribers canreadfour articles for free each month. 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. 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. 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. 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. As it so happened, her trip coincided with a . 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. [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. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. She died on December 26, 2018. When approached, during a trip to a London gallery, by a fan who wanted to get into contact with her about a personal problem, Sister Wendy smiled kindly but, once the woman had gone, remarked, I hope that woman doesnt write to me. In her honor, let's learn a few important things from Sister Wendy. "[5], Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where her father was studying medicine. December 26, 2018. The juxtaposition of this diminutive figure with articulate and enlightening commentary on fine art never grew old. While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. She was, by her own account, a frail girl. Visitation was held on Thursday, February 23rd 2023 at 11:00 AM at the . 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. 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.. , An Interview,Sister Wendys American Collection, PBS. Her favourite choice was "Serenade" (D 957 No. Whether thats Eve or not, theres a human face there looking straight at Adam with the eyes daring him to respond to the challenge. 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. Beckett was born in South Africa and raised in Scotland. 2. She was 88.[34]. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Several years later, he moved to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and postcards from the Norfolk monastery arrived there. 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. Some art critics agreed, calling her amateurish. She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all.. She was 88. Sister Wendys Grand Tour: Discovering Europes Greatest Art. She had a gift for storytelling and drama, as well as a clear passion for her subject matter. 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. people, women and others in the Catholic Church, Motherhood is not a hobby: A Catholic mom responds to comedian Chelsea Handler, Pope Benedict XVI on the relationship between Christianity and politics, Pope Francis says Vatican II was a visit of God to his church in new interview, Vice Provost for Continuing, Professional and Executive Education Stony Brook University, Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, Bergoglio Lecture Series at Sacred Heart University, Contemplation can be scarybut its worth the risk, Cardinal Gregory: Pope Francis makes Americans in both parties uncomfortable, For Catholics, Lent 2023 is a time to act against antisemitism, New asteroids named for 3 Jesuits and pope of Gregorian calendar fame. Some of her art world colleagues criticized her lack of exposure to original works of art, but she had at least as many admirers. I think that her popular acclaim can inspire all of us at times when we feel like we dont fit the mold. December 26, 2018. She studied literature at Oxford in the early 1950s, living in a convent and observing its strict code of silence for four years. BBC. When asked once what the other Quidenham nuns thought about her going round the world with a camera crew, she replied, they feel sorry for me. There Sister Wendy dissected art in various museums around Britain. She lived here as a hermit, rising at midnight to pray, and giving seven hours each day to her devotions. I thought it was just a weekend here or there.. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In the mid-1980s Sister Wendy, who had long been interested in art, began writing essays for British journals, using only postcards and books as her primary reference material. SISTER Wendy Beckett, who died on 26 December, aged 88, had been a Religious, leading a solitary life for two decades before she accepted an invitation to appear in a BBC documentary about the National Gallery. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, youll have unlimited access to the website. But when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. Once she had finished her degree, Sister Wendy returned to South Africa and spent some 20 years teaching in convent schools. Sister Wendy Beckett passed away on Boxing Day 2018. Still, she was spellbound by art: She read about it voraciously, and began writing about it. At 16, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in England and began religious life as Sister Michael. At Oxford University, as a student in her early 20s, Beckett lived in a nuns hostel and soon after graduation moved back to South Africa to teach in a religious school. But persistent heart trouble and a history of epilepsy drained her strength. She was a sister of the Catholic Church who became prominent in the 1990s presenting BBC shows about art history. Mother Teresas life work was to care for the worlds unwanted. 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. [3] 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. 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