[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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. There was always something contradictory about a nun, who had devoted her life to solitude and contemplation (since 1970 in a caravan in the grounds of the enclosed Carmelite monastery at Quidenham in Norfolk), but who also managed to slip away from the cloister to make large-scale TV series on (in the eyes of the world, if not Sister Wendy herself) non-religious subjects. Sister Wendys American Collection. 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 was first discovered by a BBC television crew in Norfolk in the late 80s, when she was asked to comment on an art exhibit about feminist author Germaine Greer, The Los Angeles Times reported. Four years later Sister Wendys American Collection aired, profiling six notable American museums. Behind her gentle, toothy smile, though, Sister Wendy could be fierce. 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 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. 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. Thank you for your help! Some art critics agreed, calling her amateurish. 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. The saints are the people, weak and imperfect like ourselves, who said a total Yes to Gods love. [10][9], In 1970, health problems forced Beckett to abandon teaching and to return to England. It contained colour illustrations of works by a range of modern artists, with her comments, which were always scrupulously truthful, our reviewer concluded. 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. 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 1990s. (You will need to register. A natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama, Sister Wendy helped make art accessible to the general public. Dont think, fat little bloke, she said. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. In 1991 the BBC commissioned her to present a television documentary on the National Gallery in London. She communicated with the Carmelites only by note and lived, for the most part, alone and in total silence. 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. Copyright 2023 America Press Inc. | All Rights Reserved. She was a brilliant art critic.". Wondering why we ask for your email, or having trouble registering. Still, she was spellbound by art: She read about it voraciously, and began writing about it. Be still; let the wonder become real to you; accept the child as Lord; and thank him for such inconceivable love. She was 88.[34]. 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. She has since written 15 art books, as well as a series of articles for magazines and art journals. Its clear from just a quick glance at one of her videos that Sister Wendy truly believed in the power of art and beauty. The Republican. In the late 1990s, Sister Wendy Beckett visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for her series on U.S. museums. 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. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. When you register, youll get unlimited access to our website and a free subscription to our email newsletter for daily updates with a smart, Catholic take on faith and culture from, In this 1997 file photo, Sister Wendy Beckett, a Roman Catholic nun of the Sisters of Notre Dame, who lives in Colinton, England, and is a well-known art critic, stands near an unidentified sarcophagus at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Eventually, she decided to publish an art book to earn money for the convent. Bending backward in her black habit in the Vaticans Sistine Chapel, gazing up through large eyeglasses at Michelangelos The Creation of Adam, Sister Wendy spoke with a storytellers wonder at the solemn, sensuous moment on the ceiling as two fingertips near the touch that begat the creation of life. 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. She was 88. In his great flying cloak theres a world. Angry protests erupt over Greek rail disaster, Messages reveal battle over UK Covid policy, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked minister's messages. [33], Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. Its a trivial little name. To those who regarded her life as a hermit and a TV celebrity as self-contradictory, the response lay in her sense of obedience. Let Jesus give himself. Your Privacy Rights 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. 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. She and Michelangelo are no doubt having an in depth eternal discussion about the latters art work in the Sistine Chapel. My profound appeal is that hell make it possible for me to live up to it. In December 2012 Sister Wendy was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. She never liked her Catholic parents choice of name. From an early age she wanted to be a nun, and at age 16 she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame. Shame on you, Degas, she scolded the French Impressionist for portraying women in gawky poses. 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. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1994. As the BBC reports, Sister Wendy died Wednesday, December 26, at the age of 88. Sister Wendy began stud For many people, including . 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. December 26, 2018. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. All rights reserved. Faced with poor health, Sister Wendy asked to pursue a life of solitude. Through this the two became good friends. Privacy Statement Sympathy Ideas . A musical, Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical, written by Marcus Reeves and Beccy Smith[31] was performed at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End in 2007 and Hackney Empire Studio Theatre in 2008. Smith also drove her around the country to meet the artists when Beckett was writing her book about contemporary women artists. TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. That is too final a word. 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. [2] Besides having received the Carmelite prioress and a nun who brought her provisions, she dedicated her life to solitude and prayer, but allotted two hours of work per day to earn her living. She was 88. When she was a child, her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father attended medical school before they returned to South Africa. Omissions? 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. She didnt like Wendy. It made her think of Peter Pan.. Viewers were astonished and delighted, especially by some of her uninhibited expressions of rapture. Aamna Mohdin. She loved Star Trek, horse racing and swigging Baileys: Art-loving Sister Wendy really was a one-off masterpieces, says JANE FRYER. Pausing before the 16th century Italian painting Madonna and Child With Book, by Raphael, she zeroed in on the hefty baby Jesus. She also penned books that focused solely on religion, notably Sister Wendy on Prayer (2010) and Spiritual Letters (2013). 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. 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. if you are trying to comment, you must log in or set up a new account. 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. Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical, created by Marcus Reeves, ran briefly and camply in a small West End venue. Asked how she managed to read so many crime novels, Beckett had a quick answer. 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. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. At funeral, pope remembers Benedict's 'wisdom, tenderness, devotion' by . Sister Wendy died on December 26, 2018 at the age of 88. 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. . They have rejected the false god. 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. For all her success, she remained a nun with commitments to prayer, solitude (when possible) and vows of poverty. But audiences were captivated by her richly human tales, which brought art to life. She was ambivalent about celebrity. It was a slightly daunting task to contact her, but no less daunting was the tiny handwriting in which her contributions returned. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. Anyone can read what you share. And when she did begin studying it, she did so all on her own, through books. Seen on PBS. Cookie Settings, Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island. 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. New York: DK Publishing Inc. in association with the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., 1994. And Gods finger touches that of Man.. Through her television appearances, Sister Wendy endeavored to make their genius accessible. Beckett, who soared to international fame presenting a series of popular and unscripted art programmes for the BBC in the 1990s, died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham in Norfolk on Wednesday. Sister Wendy eventually wrote some 25 books, including collections of poetry and meditations, and made a dozen documentaries, many released on DVD. 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. 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. Alexandra Kiely In fact, she didnt actually see most works in person until she visited museums to film her lectures. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Prior to that, she had studied English literature at Oxford University and taught in her native homeland of South Africa. 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. In 1946, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education. There Sister Wendy dissected art in various museums around Britain. The Carmelites offered her a home on their property and took care of her for the rest of her life. The series followed a simple format: Sister Wendy stood next to an artwork and gave her reaction to the piece. Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series, published in July 2011. 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). 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. 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. He fell in love but he killed her.. The series was a hit, and Sister Wendy, a habit-wearing consecrated virgin with a speech impediment, became the most unlikeliest of stars. Known for her witty and eye-opening commentary on art, all made while dressed in her black nun habit, Beckett led a series of documentary programs for the BBC in the 1990s and early 2000s. In 1950 Sister Wendy's order sent her to Oxford University, where she lodged in a convent, and was awarded a Congratulatory First Class degree in English literature. For her series on U.S. museums who regarded her life she was spellbound by art: she read it... 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