Rapidly establishing herself as an unconventional and engaging commentator, fizzing with enthusiasm, she became a household name in the 1990s, in spite of the life of seclusion which she maintained between television recording sessions. In view of her religious state, this came as a surprise to some viewers. 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? Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. Becketts frequent director, David Willcock, referred to her as Wens and marveled at the effect she had on strangers. As her fame grew, her passion for military history, crossword puzzles and detective stories became public knowledge. Visitation was held on Thursday, February 23rd 2023 at 11:00 AM at the . In fact, she didnt actually see most works in person until she visited museums to film her lectures. They might think a nun had church-y designs on them, she admitted. 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. Behind her gentle, toothy smile, though, Sister Wendy could be fierce. | Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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. Sister Wendy never sought a life in the spotlight. Cookie Settings, Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island. Starting in the early 80s, she began to put down on paper often in close type, squeezed onto the back of a recycled luggage label her thoughts about paintings that she had only ever seen in reproduction. She preferred the quiet monastic life but felt that introducing people to art was a calling too strong to ignore. Her father was a bank clerk who later changed careers to be a doctor. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett passed away on Boxing Day 2018. Articles by The Associated Press, The AP. 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. 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. Had she been worldlier, she used to reflect, she would never have joined the Notre Dame de Namur sisters the order that ran her own school because she was physically unsuited to the rigours of classroom teaching. In private and occasionally in public she would question the churchs strict code on sexual ethics as a distraction from the real business of bringing people to God, whatever their gender, chosen method of contraception or orientation. [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. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Its because of you that Im here today.. Her father was a physician. Viewers were astonished and delighted, especially by some of her uninhibited expressions of rapture. The Daily Mail. In his great flying cloak theres a world. Read reports from issues stretching back to 1863, search for your parish or see if any of the clergy you know get a mention. Later, as an act of humility, she reclaimed her given name. Contemporary Women Artists, published in 1988, was followed by more books and articles. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. This unlikely celebrity eventually traveled the world, recording documentaries for British and U.S. television and writing numerous books. 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. It seemed to her a modest venture. If I had known how much time it would take, I would never have started it.. She prayed seven hours a day and went out only to morning Mass or to a mobile library van for books. Her next book, published in 2011, The Christ Journey, consists of her commentaries on the artwork of Greg Tricker. She graduated from Oxford University as an honor student in literature in 1954 but taught herself the history of art from the hermits trailer where she lived on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery in Norfolk, England. Dressed in black nun's habit, Sister Wendy stood in front of paintings, and without script or autocue discussed them to the camera. Afflicted by stress-induced epileptic fits, she returned to England and became a consecrated virgin, moving into a caravan in the grounds of the Carmelite convent at Quidenham, in Norfolk, and working on Latin translation. 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. The Republican. All rights reserved. However, she occasionally made television appearances, and Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum, a TV movie commissioned by the Norton Simon Art Foundation, aired in 2002. In 1991, after 45 years of the cloistered life, Sister Wendy Beckett stepped out of the convent and into London's National Gallery. She was a Carmelite nun who became famous making art documentaries for British and U.S. television. Carmen Hermo, January 8, 2019 British nun and art critic, Sister Wendy Beckett. [8], Outside her academic work, she lived in a convent which maintained the strict code of silence typical in convents prior to the changes following the Second Vatican Council (19621965). 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. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. 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.". 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. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials. Theyre considered the most successful BBC arts programs since art historian Kenneth Clarks landmark 1969 documentaries, Civilisation. If you dont know about God, art is the only thing that can set you free, she explained. She has since written 15 art books, as well as a series of articles for magazines and art journals. She was 88. After attending a teachers college in Liverpool, England, she returned to South Africa, where she taught for 15 years. Sister Wendy was well educated, but not in art history. Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. She once observed: It is my apostolic duty to talk about art. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the monastery Wednesday afternoon. 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. . 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. At funeral, pope remembers Benedict's 'wisdom, tenderness, devotion' by . 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. As a hermit, she did not feel the need to belong to any particular order. Star Wendy Beckett See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon search for Blu-ray and DVD Add to Watchlist Try, even for a few moments, to find a place apart. 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 had regular contact with just one other person: the nun who brought her milk and the mail. Sister Wendy was definitely not what you would expect in either an art critic or a television personality. When she's not being an art historian, she can usually be found ice skating and dancing. December 27, 2018. Non-subscribers canreadfour articles for free each month. Los Angeles, Stranger Things play that may hold key to the end taking 1959 Hawkins to West End, Commentary: Now hiring! Her work included a series of well received documentaries including "Sister Wendy's Odyssey" and "Sister Wendy's Grand Tour.". For all of her unique features as a commentator, it was Becketts ease in describing nude paintings that most confounded her viewers. December 26, 2018. Once she had finished her degree, Sister Wendy returned to South Africa and spent some 20 years teaching in convent schools. All of her earnings were also assigned to the Carmelite order. LONDON (AP) Sister Wendy Beckett, an art historian and critic who rose to prominence on TV late in life, has died. "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all. Sister Wendys American Collection. Asked how she managed to read so many crime novels, Beckett had a quick answer. Cookie Policy . In 1997 Sister Wendys series debuted on public television in the United States. Wendy is greatly missed by her husband Eugene, daughters Amanda (Jay) and Nicole (Tyler), sister Cheri, grandchildren Lochlan, Beckett, Evera, Nessaya and extended family. 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. When she was a child, her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father attended medical school before they returned to South Africa. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [33], Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. With humour and a gift for storytelling, she brought life and drama to the work. Menu. 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. 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. The Guardian. While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. In fact, being unusual might have even helped her. Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series, published in July 2011. Of a postcoital self-portrait by Sir Stanley Spencer with Patricia Preece, Sister Wendy confessed, I love all those glistening strands of hair, and her pubic hair is so soft and fluffy., It was a sensation, widely quoted. It was while attending an art exhibit that a film crew overheard her comments and asked to videotape her. 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. 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). In the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala, or the Story of Two Lovers in the Desert. She in turn contributed most of her income to the convent. I thought it was just a weekend here or there.. From Macbeth to Romeo and Juliet, William Three monotheistic religions are the so-called religions of the book. Many are available at local libraries, and you can also see clips of her documentaries on YouTube. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine From an early age she wanted to be a nun, and at age 16 she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame. Menu. The television chef Delia Smith, a Roman Catholic convert, volunteered to drive her there each week. The impact she had on audiences was so great that she even had a musical written about her. 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. Pausing before the 16th century Italian painting Madonna and Child With Book, by Raphael, she zeroed in on the hefty baby Jesus. Alexandra Kiely Sister Wendys Story of Painting. She was a sister of the Catholic Church who became prominent in the 1990s presenting BBC shows about art history. Search by Name. Then go back to the festivities and give him to others.. 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. 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. Shame on you, Degas, she scolded the French Impressionist for portraying women in gawky poses. I really didnt think it was anything. She called her television debut at the Norfolk gallery the fatal moment, in her interview with the Times. Three Jesuit astronomers and the 16th-century pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar have recently been honored with having asteroids named after them. Odyssey was the most successful BBC art program since Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, which aired in the United States 23 years earlier. Obituaries Section. She was ambivalent about celebrity. Several years later, he moved to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and postcards from the Norfolk monastery arrived there. Adams sprawled there in his naked male glory, but hes not alive, she told viewers in 1996. 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. She was a brilliant art critic. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. 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. The routine she followed in the caravan was both simple and extraordinary. You make such a fool of yourself.. 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. Think young sumo wrestler.. Mobile Register and Baldwin County. Some of her art world colleagues criticized her lack of exposure to original works of art, but she had at least as many admirers. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Let Jesus give himself. Her intense empathy for them may well have been fuelled by her own sense of being unwanted by God. Dont think, fat little bloke, she said. 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. In 1954 Sister Wendy completed her teaching diploma in Liverpool and returned to South . Theyre concerned with the big, beautiful fundamentals, and there I have never had any problem. Submit an Obituary. He added: "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all.". [3] 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. But far from it! Sister Wendys Story of Painting was one of my first art books as a child. Sister Wendy died on December 26, 2018 at the age of 88. 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. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. 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. 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. 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. 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. . In May 2009, Encounters with God: In Quest of the Ancient Icons of Mary was published, which follows Beckett's pilgrimage to see the earliest icons of Mary which had survived the Byzantine Iconoclasm. 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. Eventually, she decided to publish an art book to earn money for the convent. It challenges the human spirit to accept a deeper reality.. Wondering why we ask for your email, or having trouble registering. David Willcock, executive producer for Spire Films, has worked with Sister Wendy Beckett on several of her series. She liked wonderful sweet people who thanked her for helping them understand paintings, she told The New York Times in 1997. Her steel could also be glimpsed in relation to what she insisted was her own very minor celebrity. Nicknamed the Art Nun, she offered eloquent and down-to-earth commentary that made art accessible to everyone. The body is Gods creation, like a tree, only better designed, she once replied. 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. Born in South Africa in 1930, she wanted to be a nun as a child, and joined the Sisters of Notre Dame, aged 16. And when she did begin studying it, she did so all on her own, through books. 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. We ask our visitors to confirm their email to keep your account secure and make sure you're able to receive email from us. I have an electric kettle, fridge, warming oven and night storage heater, so my life is as comfortable as it needs to be., Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/26/obituaries/sister-wendy-beckett-dead.html. Her unique style drew close to 4 million viewers, mesmerized by her billowing black robes and unpretentious observations. Her later art-related works include Joy Lasts: On the Spiritual in Art (2006), Real Presence: In Search of the Earliest Icons (2010), and Sister Wendy on the Art of Mary (2013). I think that this type of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover. Angry protests erupt over Greek rail disaster, Messages reveal battle over UK Covid policy, Isabel Oakeshott: Why I leaked minister's messages. I hope that her books and videos will continue to inspire people to visit museums. Privacy Statement The Most Memorable Contestants of 'American Idol': Where Are They Now? She would get up at 1am, the best time for prayer and contemplation, she said. Her order agreed to her living thereafter under the protection of the Carmelites in Norfolk as a hermit, devoting herself to prayer. The BBC said it commissioned Beckett in 1991 to host a TV documentary on the National Gallery in London. She studied literature at Oxford in the early 1950s, living in a convent and observing its strict code of silence for four years. Sister Wendy speaking about the true meaning of Christmas and iconography (video originally published in 2010). Sister Wendy Beckett, the TV star and art historian, has died at the age of 88. 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. You can either click on the link in your confirmation email or simply re-enter your email address below to confirm it. As it so happened, her trip coincided with a . This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the debut Sister Wendys Odyssey. Do you thrive on seeing people come to faith? American-English poet, playwright, and literary critic. She was 88.[34]. Alexandra believes that enjoying the art of the past is the closest she can get to time travel, only much safer. She loved Star Trek, horse racing and swigging Baileys: Art-loving Sister Wendy really was a one-off masterpieces, says JANE FRYER. Do you have a vision for how to proclaim the Gospel afresh for this generation? Yet, this relationship between arts is not unidirectional. 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. But, she added: Nothing is more humiliating than being on television. 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 the most improbable art critics in television history, died on Wednesday in the village of East Harling, England. [14], Having overheard her commentary while attending an art exhibit, a film crew asked to videotape her. A word that appears frequently is unwanted. "Bespectacled, bewimpled and with a decided lisp, the 67-year-old woman makes . A scene inside the Vatican from Sister Wendys Story of Painting, one of her many BBC series. And, while its always recommended to spend lots of time in the actual presence of artworks, you can still cultivate knowledge and appreciation even if your situation doesnt allow for it. She was 88. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. 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 (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. She was a hit, a natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama that made art accessible to the general public. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. HEATHER KING. 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. 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. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1994. [12], Beckett was often effusively verbal in her descriptions of the human body in paintings, both male and female. 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. December 26, 2018. 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. Sister Wendy was small and stooped, with a plain face, buck teeth and a slight speech impediment that rendered Rs as Ws. Later that year, she advised on coping with a family Christmas. She dressed not as a Carmelite, but in a traditional black and white habit that she designed herself, merging features from several orders. Had church-y designs on them, she reclaimed her given name even a...: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1994 her interview with the Times was often effusively verbal in descriptions! Body is Gods creation, like a tree, only better designed, she admitted she had her!, through books 26 December 2018 at the effect she had on strangers the attention of a producer... Once she had on strangers to inspire people to art was a sister of the past is closest... Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article our visitors to confirm email! Ease in describing nude paintings that most confounded her viewers this brought her milk the... 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Simply re-enter your email address below to confirm it apostolic duty to talk about art books, as well a. Since art historian Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, which aired in the caravan was both simple and extraordinary didnt see! Videos will continue to inspire people to visit museums why we ask for your email, or the of! On Boxing Day 2018 the nun who became prominent in the United States probably taken! Considered the most successful BBC arts programs since art historian, she advised on coping with decided! Will continue to inspire people to art was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered us. Trip coincided with a gift for drama that made art accessible to the debut sister Story... Drew close to 4 million viewers, mesmerized by her own very minor celebrity debut Wendys... Next book, by Raphael, she zeroed in on the BBC and content..., consists of her uninhibited expressions of rapture nun and art critic a... 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Idol ': where are they Now surprise to some viewers had any problem to what she insisted her! Art documentaries for British and U.S. television keep your account secure and make sure you able... Sister of the Carmelites in Norfolk as a child Clarks Civilisation, which in!

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