", Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett's death was "a huge loss for the art world. In December 2012 Sister Wendy was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. That title, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Its a trivial little name. 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. She loved Star Trek, horse racing and swigging Baileys: Art-loving Sister Wendy really was a one-off masterpieces, says JANE FRYER. Alexandra believes that enjoying the art of the past is the closest she can get to time travel, only much safer. LONDON (AP) Sister Wendy Beckett, an art historian and critic who rose to prominence on TV late in life, has died. 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. "[5], Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where her father was studying medicine. Submit an Obituary . 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. In 1991 the BBC commissioned her to present a television documentary on the National Gallery in London. Dressed in black nun's habit, Sister Wendy stood in front of paintings, and without script or autocue discussed them to the camera. [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. Sister Wendy speaking about the true meaning of Christmas and iconography (video originally published in 2010). She cut an unconventional figure for a television personality with her black nuns habit and oversized eyeglasses. She died at 14:30 GMT at the Carmelite monastery in Quidenham. Some art critics agreed, calling her amateurish. [33], Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. I think Mother called me Wendy because she thought I would be small and pretty. After attending a teachers college in Liverpool, England, she returned to South Africa, where she taught for 15 years. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, youll have unlimited access to the website. 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 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. 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. Her knowledge has passed down and is now ingrained in many people through her books and television programmes. 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. Her book Art and the Sacred was published in 1992. When they overheard Sister Wendys musings on the art, the crew members trained their camera on her, kickstarting her unlikely career on the small screen, as host of a series of beloved programs about the worlds greatest artworks. 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. 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? See also The Art of Looking at Art, a Britannica sidebar written by Sister Wendy. Sister Wendy began stud 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. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Cookie Settings, Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island. She once said she persisted because she had a calling to talk about art in ways the average person could appreciate. (Photo by Neville Elder/Corbis/Getty Images) Share Carmen Hermo Related Articles Want to Learn Art History? Born in South Africa in 1930, she wanted to be a nun as a child, and joined the Sisters of Notre Dame, aged 16. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. 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. I really didnt think it was anything. 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. By then, viewers were accustomed to her mischievous humor and unconventional views. According to a 1997 New York Times profile, Sister Wendy moved into a rickety trailer in the forest, where she prayed for seven hours each day and subsisted on little more than coffee, crackers and skim milk. She was, the Church Times TV critic at that time, David Johnson, observed, an unself-conscious natural for television. In the 1980s, Sister Wendy obtained permission from her superiors to start studying art, which she did by combing through books and examining postcard reproductions of famous works. By 2002, Beckett had published some 20 books and completed 11 art programs for public television. Her favorite artists, according to the Times, were Poussin, Velazquez, Goya, Titian and Cezanne, some of the most revered names in art history. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Theres little question that she caught a lot of peoples attention by walking around major museums in her nuns attire, looking and sounding like a conservative grandmother, and then saying perceptive and sassy things like this She had a musical written about her, so people clearly found her compelling. The Republican. Be still; let the wonder become real to you; accept the child as Lord; and thank him for such inconceivable love. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. Search by Name. This article was amended on 31 December 2018. Through her television appearances, Sister Wendy endeavored to make their genius accessible. Smith also drove her around the country to meet the artists when Beckett was writing her book about contemporary women artists. The routine she followed in the caravan was both simple and extraordinary. Cookie Policy 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. Sprinkle some salt on the dish, and, if you want to be really fancy, some chopped chives. She once observed: It is my apostolic duty to talk about art. Sister Wendy was definitely not what you would expect in either an art critic or a television personality. 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. Beckett, Sister Wendy. In the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala, or the Story of Two Lovers in the Desert. While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the debut Sister Wendys Odyssey. 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. Do you have a vision for how to proclaim the Gospel afresh for this generation? The juxtaposition of this diminutive figure with articulate and enlightening commentary on fine art never grew old. Sister Wendy Beckett, the cloistered nun who ventured out of seclusion to become a celebrity art critic and historian, died Wednesday at Englands Carmelite Monastery Quidenham in Norfolk, according to the BBC. Wondering why we ask for your email, or having trouble registering. She studied literature at Oxford in the early 1950s, living in a convent and observing its strict code of silence for four years. She was, by her own account, a frail girl. Prior to that, she had studied English literature at Oxford University and taught in her native homeland of South Africa. As a hermit, she did not feel the need to belong to any particular order. But persistent heart trouble and a history of epilepsy drained her strength. A surprising rise to fame catapulted her into television stardom, where she used her platform to share artistic masterpieces with the public. The New York Times. Sympathy Ideas . Shame on you, Degas, she scolded the French Impressionist for portraying women in gawky poses. Climb the mountain. Her order agreed to her living thereafter under the protection of the Carmelites in Norfolk as a hermit, devoting herself to prayer. She taught in Cape Town, South Africa, and Liverpool in northern England. She liked wonderful sweet people who thanked her for helping them understand paintings, she told The New York Times in 1997. 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.. Her favourite choice was "Serenade" (D 957 No. From the time she appeared in her first art appreciation program on BBC in 1991, Becketts provocative and witty commentaries captured the attention of museum curators, book publishers and art critics as well as art lovers around the world. In fact, she didnt actually see most works in person until she visited museums to film her lectures. Beal sent it to her without charge. By 1997, as she marked 50 years as a nun, the Oxford-educated Sister Wendy had made three television series, the most successful BBC arts programs since Civilisation, the art historian Kenneth Clarks landmark 1969 documentaries. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions. If youre already a subscriber or donor, thank you! At 16, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in England and began religious life as Sister Michael. Non-subscribers canreadfour articles for free each month. Schoolchildren ran to her side when they saw her crossing the county museums plaza. My time is for 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. But when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation. 2. Art Critique. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. Born in South Africa in 1930, Wendy Beckett received her dual vocations -- God and art -- early in life. 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 (1930-2018), contemplative nun and consecrated virgin, delighted audiences worldwide with her lively BBC documentaries on the history of art. The Republican Homepage. In 1950 she enrolled at the University of Oxford, graduating (1954) with top honours in English. 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. She was 88. 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. Sister Wendys American Collection. Every contribution, however big or small, is very valuable for our future. 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. 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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