After attending the Notre Dame College of Education in Liverpool and earning a teaching diploma in 1954, she returned to South Africa to teach at Notre Dame Convent, a school for girls in Constantia, Cape Town, where she taught English and Latin. She once observed: It is my apostolic duty to talk about art. In a 2000 interview with PBS, she explained her appreciation of non-Christian religious art: all great religions are great because theyre based upon the longings of the human heart. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all. As it so happened, her trip coincided with a . 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. Pausing before the 16th century Italian painting Madonna and Child With Book, by Raphael, she zeroed in on the hefty baby Jesus. After attending a teachers college in Liverpool, England, she returned to South Africa, where she taught for 15 years. Time Magazine. You can find a full list of her works here. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. . 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. 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. Could you be called to shape the future of Mission and Ministry across the Diocese of Worcester? When he finally met her at LACMA, Beal understood. The juxtaposition of this diminutive figure with articulate and enlightening commentary on fine art never grew old. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions. 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 was wonderful! Her order agreed to her living thereafter under the protection of the Carmelites in Norfolk as a hermit, devoting herself to prayer. She was 88. She was 88. With humour and a gift for storytelling, she brought life and drama to the work. In her honor, let's learn a few important things from Sister Wendy. They might think a nun had church-y designs on them, she admitted. "[5], Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where her father was studying medicine. Schoolchildren ran to her side when they saw her crossing the county museums plaza. Sister Wendy was small and stooped, with a plain face, buck teeth and a slight speech impediment that rendered Rs as Ws. 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. (You will need to register. Accessed online. Sister Wendys Story of Painting was one of my first art books as a child. According to The New York Times, she attended mass daily. She was ambivalent about celebrity. Visitation was held on Thursday, February 23rd 2023 at 11:00 AM at the . Three Jesuit astronomers and the 16th-century pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar have recently been honored with having asteroids named after them. Becketts frequent director, David Willcock, referred to her as Wens and marveled at the effect she had on strangers. She cut an unconventional figure for a television personality with her black nuns habit and oversized eyeglasses. While she always loved art, she only started studying it after she became too sick to continue her translation work. Viewers were astonished and delighted, especially by some of her uninhibited expressions of rapture. Corrections? Nicknamed the Art Nun, she offered eloquent and down-to-earth commentary that made art accessible to everyone. No one would dare write a book about how a husband and wife are to talk to each other, she commented in an interview (Features, 17 October 2007). She would get up at 1am, the best time for prayer and contemplation, she said. 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. 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. Obituaries Section. (Orbis/Twitter via @carmelitespirit) Back in the 1990s, Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018), a contemplative nun and consecrated virgin, delighted audiences worldwide with her lively BBC documentaries on the history of art. Sister Wendy began stud. He spoke with her in late 2000, shortly after they had completed their visit. 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. Her knowledge has passed down and is now ingrained in many people through her books and television programmes. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon. She was an effective and knowledgeable presenter, and people enjoyed her quirky style and insights. Dont think, fat little bloke, she said. Mobile Register and Baldwin County. 4) by Franz Schubert, her chosen book was "an enormous book of logical puzzles", and her luxury item was a "refrigerated tabernacle". 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. She studied literature at Oxford in the early 1950s, living in a convent and observing its strict code of silence for four years. But audiences were captivated by her richly human tales, which brought art to life. It was inevitable that the Church Times should seek to publish extracts from her books, and even invite her to contribute. Sister Wendy Beckett . Your Privacy Rights Beckett is survived by her sister, Barbara. 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. If youre already a subscriber or donor, thank you! The Government is right to help to resist Putins regime but it should take care not to escalate the conflict, says Paul Williams. 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. 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. 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 . See also The Art of Looking at Art, a Britannica sidebar written by Sister Wendy. 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. Her request was granted, and in 1970 she moved back to England, settling on the grounds of the Carmelite monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. Dressed in black nun's habit, Sister Wendy stood in front of paintings, and without script or autocue discussed them to the camera. In fact, anyone who has a narrow sense of their religion, whether theyre Jew or Christian or Muslim or whatever, has only to look long and intelligently at the great work of another tradition and they will see what the religions have in common. 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 became Sister Wendy after Vatican reforms relaxed formalities. Menu. 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. Art Critique. Menu. And her pubic hair is so soft and fluffy., For the rest of her life she was asked to explain her views on sex. . Its a trivial little name. She insisted, however, on describing the depiction of the human anatomy in art when it was called for, stating that "God did not make a mistake when He created the human body, so I am not making a mistake by describing it.". By then, viewers were accustomed to her mischievous humor and unconventional views. Search by Name. Star Wendy Beckett See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon search for Blu-ray and DVD Add to Watchlist 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. The impact she had on audiences was so great that she even had a musical written about her. The nun passed away on Boxing Day 2018 at the age of 88 - here's everything you need to know about her. Some of her art world colleagues criticized her lack of exposure to original works of art, but she had at least as many admirers. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Menu. Asked how she managed to read so many crime novels, Beckett had a quick answer. By 2002, Beckett had published some 20 books and completed 11 art programs for public television. TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. LONDON (AP) Sister Wendy Beckett, an art historian and critic who rose to prominence on TV late in life, has died. This book, entitled The Iconic Jesus, takes the reader through scenes from the New Testament, accompanied by Beckett's reflections. She stood in front of the paintings dressed in a black nun's habit and discussed the paintings without a script or teleprompter. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. In the late 1990s, Sister Wendy Beckett visited the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for her series on U.S. museums. Sister Wendys Book of Saints, published in 1998, was well received. A surprising rise to fame catapulted her into television stardom, where she used her platform to share artistic masterpieces with the public. The television chef Delia Smith, a Roman Catholic convert, volunteered to drive her there each week. 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. Contemporary Women Artists, published in 1988, was followed by more books and articles. [12] Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art was published in 2008 to celebrate the Year of Saint Paul. Many are available at local libraries, and you can also see clips of her documentaries on YouTube. In view of her religious state, this came as a surprise to some viewers. 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. Yet, this relationship between arts is not unidirectional. Meet Sister Wendy. Through this the two became good friends. More series followed, including a ten-part documentary that saw Sister Wendy travel to visit artworks in 12 different countries. [33], Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the debut Sister Wendys Odyssey. Odyssey was the most successful BBC art program since Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, which aired in the United States 23 years earlier. Sympathy Ideas . To explore the Church Times website fully, please sign in or subscribe. 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. 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, 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. Sister Wendy Beckett, the Roman Catholic nun who left her cloistered convent life to launch a television career in later life and became an unlikely small screen star, has died aged 88. Later that year, she advised on coping with a family Christmas. Sister Wendy Beckett and Robert Ellsberg in 2017. Even throughout her success, Beckett remained dedicated to the convent. For all of her unique features as a commentator, it was Becketts ease in describing nude paintings that most confounded her viewers. 2023 BBC. She had acquired all the star trappings but a wardrobe adviser a publicist, an agent to negotiate fees and contracts, promotional interviews with Charlie Rose and Bill Moyers, and visits with dignitaries like Prime Minister John Major at 10 Downing Street and Pope John Paul II, who commended her for broadcasting a positive image of the church. She had regular contact with just one other person: the nun who brought her milk and the mail. David Willcock, executive producer for Spire Films, has worked with Sister Wendy Beckett on several of her series. As the BBC reports, Sister Wendy died Wednesday, December 26, at the age of 88. And when she did begin studying it, she did so all on her own, through books. The series was a hit, and Sister Wendy, a habit-wearing consecrated virgin with a speech impediment, became the most unlikeliest of stars. One of her last programs was Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum, which aired in October 2002. For many people, including . Beckett's death was a huge loss for the art world. Carmen Hermo, January 8, 2019 British nun and art critic, Sister Wendy Beckett. 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. 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