Once she had finished her degree, Sister Wendy returned to South Africa and spent some 20 years teaching in convent schools. It was as she wanted it. When she was a child, her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father attended medical school before they returned to South Africa. Oxford University List of Members for the Year 1972, London, OUP, 1972, p.720, which records full name. 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. 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.. Star Wendy Beckett See production, box office & company info Search on Amazon search for Blu-ray and DVD Add to Watchlist 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. It was a slightly daunting task to contact her, but no less daunting was the tiny handwriting in which her contributions returned. 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 cut an unconventional figure for a television personality with her black nuns habit and oversized eyeglasses. She was 88. 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 graduated from Oxford with high honors in English literature, and one of her original jobs in her monastery was translating Medieval Latin texts. 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. 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. "Bespectacled, bewimpled and with a decided lisp, the 67-year-old woman makes . More series followed, including a ten-part documentary that saw Sister Wendy travel to visit artworks in 12 different countries. Dave Quinn is an Editor for PEOPLE, working across a number of verticals including the Entertainment, Lifestyle and News teams. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. 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. Church Times 2023. She once said she persisted because she had a calling to talk about art in ways the average person could appreciate. That title, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Her order agreed to her living thereafter under the protection of the Carmelites in Norfolk as a hermit, devoting herself to prayer. 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. Password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email address. As it so happened, her trip coincided with a . They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. December 27, 2018. 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.". 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. 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. McFadden, Robert D. Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88. My profound appeal is that hell make it possible for me to live up to it. The Daily Mail. Sister Wendy. (Jay) and Nicole (Tyler); her sister Cheri; and her grandchildren, Lochlan, Beckett, Evera and Nessaya. Requiescat in pace, Sister Wendy. 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. Still, she was spellbound by art: She read about it voraciously, and began writing about it. I will always be a nun. She had spent more than 20 years in a convent, perfecting the ways of religious life. 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. (You will need to register. David Willcock, executive producer for Spire Films, has worked with Sister Wendy Beckett on several of her series. A scene inside the Vatican from Sister Wendys Story of Painting, one of her many BBC series. Captains of industry rush around to find her a needle and thread, he said of a typical day with Sister Wendy. Returning to South Africa, she taught for 15 years at a Cape Town convent and later lectured at Johannesburgs University of Witwatersrand. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Read reports from issues stretching back to 1863, search for your parish or see if any of the clergy you know get a mention. In 1997 Sister Wendys series debuted on public television in the United States. 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. 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. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. The whole point of prayer is that it is just us, there before the loving God. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. She would find time for a couple of hours of work, writing the occasional article and a series of well-received books on prayer, St Paul and the religious festivals. Sister Wendys Story of Painting. I hope that her books and videos will continue to inspire people to visit museums. Many are available at local libraries, and you can also see clips of her documentaries on YouTube. She even used to promise to enlist the nuns of Quidenham to pray that some of the unmarried women producers she worked with would find suitable partners. The routine she followed in the caravan was both simple and extraordinary. Its because of you that Im here today.. Wendy's family welcomes you to join a mass service at 11:00 on Thursday February 23, 2023 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) in Kamloops BC, followed by a Celebration of . Sister Wendy Beckett Obituary. From Macbeth to Romeo and Juliet, William Three monotheistic religions are the so-called religions of the book. In 1988 her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published. She was 88.[34]. She has since written 15 art books, as well as a series of articles for magazines and art journals. 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. The Republican Homepage. Some of her art world colleagues criticized her lack of exposure to original works of art, but she had at least as many admirers. Search by Name. Beal sent it to her without charge. 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. [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. But when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation. She knew many of these artworks only from reproductions, and the part of the shows magic was capturing the moment she encountered these works for the first time in person. At 16, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in England and began religious life as Sister Michael. 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. Wendy Mary Beckett was born in Johannesburg on Feb. 25, 1930, to Aubrey and Dorothy (Sheehan) Beckett. Adams sprawled there in his naked male glory, but hes not alive, she told viewers in 1996. 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 . Beckett emerged as an unlikely TV personality in the 1990s through her belief that art belongs to . The Guardian. Kalai, Leonidas. Beckett, Sister Wendy with Patricia Wright. (AP Photo/Victoria Arocho, File), Were sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. God is such a total mystery. Pausing before the 16th century Italian painting Madonna and Child With Book, by Raphael, she zeroed in on the hefty baby Jesus. I spend a lot of time looking at and reading about art, but I still came away with a new appreciation and perspective after watching videos like this one. Behind her gentle, toothy smile, though, Sister Wendy could be fierce. "Sister Wendy had a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts," BBC director of arts Jonty Claypole said. Sister Wendy Beckett, the cloistered nun who ventured out of seclusion to . Two other series on art, Sister Wendys Grand Tour (1994) and Sister Wendys Story of Painting (1997), appeared on the BBC and were soon shown throughout Europe. 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. Dont think, fat little bloke, she said. Four years later Sister Wendys American Collection aired, profiling six notable American museums. If youre already a subscriber or donor, thank you! But her insightful, unscripted commentaries a blend of history, criticism and observations on Leonardo da Vinci, van Gogh, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Monet and other Western masters connected emotionally with millions in Britain and America. Think young sumo wrestler.. Do you thrive on seeing people come to faith? Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox! Thats why I have so much respect and admiration for her mission to share her love of art with the world. Every contribution, however big or small, is very valuable for our future. In December 2012 Sister Wendy was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. In the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala, or the Story of Two Lovers in the Desert. Find an Obituary. Quite simply, they justify her reputation as one of the foremost art critics of our time, and one of the most accessible.. Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Terms of Use In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. "[5], Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where her father was studying medicine. [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. Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon. [easyazon_image align=none height=110 identifier=0789446030 locale=US src=https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/51J28BR7K1L.SL110.jpg tag=dailyartdaily-20 width=92][easyazon_image align=none height=110 identifier=B000GIXLTS locale=US src=https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/51V86dbUPwL.SL110.jpg tag=dailyartdaily-20 width=77][easyazon_image align=none height=110 identifier=0789468050 locale=US src=https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/51sRg6KfHyL.SL110.jpg tag=dailyartdaily-20 width=84]. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Sister Wendy was great. 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 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. Logging in will also give you access to commenting features on our website. 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. For a 10-part 1994 BBC series, Sister Wendys Grand Tour, she crossed Europe and for the first time swooned over Matisse and Czanne at the Louvre in Paris, Michelangelos Piet in Rome, the canvases of Rembrandt and van Gogh in Amsterdam, and the art treasures of Madrid, Florence, Venice and Berlin. 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. Submit an Obituary. 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. Beckett was born in South Africa and raised in Scotland. In the 1950s, Sister Wendys order sent her to Oxford University, where she studied English literature and was awarded a Congratulatory First, a prestigious honor that is only bestowed upon a select few students. She studied literature at Oxford in the early 1950s, living in a convent and observing its strict code of silence for four years. All of her earnings were also assigned to the Carmelite order. She preferred the quiet monastic life but felt that introducing people to art was a calling too strong to ignore. It launched her television career. So, dont ever think that you cant enjoy and understand art if you dont have an art history degree. No one else does it quite like you, one woman told her. [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. Sister Wendy began. Beckett, Sister Wendy. While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. She spoke very comfortably and often highly of such works. According to The New York Times, she attended mass daily. Very valuable for our future belongs to her grandchildren, Lochlan, Beckett moved with her family Scotland! Ap Photo/Victoria Arocho, File ), Were sorry registration is n't working smoothly you. Unlikely Star of art history documentary programs on the BBC however big or small, is valuable... Literature at oxford in the Desert citation style rules, there before the loving.. 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