Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox! All of her earnings were also assigned to the Carmelite order. 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. Visit her at A Scholarly Skater and The Art Museum Insider. Quite simply, they justify her reputation as one of the foremost art critics of our time, and one of the most accessible.. (You will need to register. 4) by Franz Schubert, her chosen book was "an enormous book of logical puzzles", and her luxury item was a "refrigerated tabernacle". In fact, being unusual might have even helped her. Think young sumo wrestler.. ", Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett's death was "a huge loss for the art world. Then go back to the festivities and give him to others.. Read about our approach to external linking. (Read Sister Wendys Britannica essay on art.). Her work included a series of well received documentaries including "Sister Wendy's Odyssey" and "Sister Wendy's Grand Tour.". She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. She would get up at 1am, the best time for prayer and contemplation, she said. [14], Having overheard her commentary while attending an art exhibit, a film crew asked to videotape her. Please contact us at members@americamedia.org with any questions. 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. When asked once what she felt about God, she replied, sharply: I dont think anyone can feel God. Beckett is survived by her sister, Barbara. At funeral, pope remembers Benedict's 'wisdom, tenderness, devotion' by . Its because of you that Im here today.. Graham Beal who was artistic director of LACMA in 1999, first met Beckett by mail decades earlier when he was with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Sister Wendy. But far from it! There she lived in a house trailer with only the most basic amenities, working two hours a day. 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. But most viewers really liked her anyway, because she had a great personality on screen, she knew her art, and she made it interesting to them. As a hermit, she did not feel the need to belong to any particular order. And when she did begin studying it, she did so all on her own, through books. Prior to that, she had studied English literature at Oxford University and taught in her native homeland of South Africa. Returning to South Africa, she taught for 15 years at a Cape Town convent and later lectured at Johannesburgs University of Witwatersrand. I loved listening to her talk about art. 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. Becketts frequent director, David Willcock, referred to her as Wens and marveled at the effect she had on strangers. 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. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. But when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation. I think that this type of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover. 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. Whether thats Eve or not, theres a human face there looking straight at Adam with the eyes daring him to respond to the challenge. 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. By then, viewers were accustomed to her mischievous humor and unconventional views. Like Sister Wendy, I believe that art is for everyone. Sister Wendys American Collection. It was seen in some of her verdicts on modern artists who failed to interest her, though cloaked as ever in a show of nun-like Christian charity. 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. Beckett, Sister Wendy. BBC director of arts Jonty Claypole paid tribute, saying Sister Wendy had "a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts". She assigned all her earnings to a Carmelite order that had sheltered her for decades, and she attended Mass daily, even when traveling. Behind her gentle, toothy smile, though, Sister Wendy could be fierce. She wrote, asking for a catalog of a George Segal sculpture exhibit. Asked once to explain her choice, she said, I am a nun. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. Her book Art and the Sacred was published in 1992. But audiences were captivated by her richly human tales, which brought art to life. She had a gift for storytelling and drama, as well as a clear passion for her subject matter. The Carmelites offered her a home on their property and took care of her for the rest of her life. Even throughout her success, Beckett remained dedicated to the convent. [11], Beckett spent many years translating Medieval Latin scripts before deciding, in 1980, to pursue art. I guess Im not the only one she was writing to.. 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. Now its on to find the true one.. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, youll have unlimited access to the website. The capacity to see, to open up the vision of reality that an artist offers, is innate in us all. In 1991 the BBC commissioned her to present a television documentary on the National Gallery in London. Kalai, Leonidas. Although she hadnt appeared on television since the early 2000s, she was still a much-loved figure responsible for putting many people on the path of art appreciation. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. Let Jesus give himself. The juxtaposition of this diminutive figure with articulate and enlightening commentary on fine art never grew old. In her honor, let's learn a few important things from Sister Wendy. Sister Wendy began stud. In fact, she didnt actually see most works in person until she visited museums to film her lectures. 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). She was a Carmelite nun who became famous making art documentaries for British and U.S. television. McFadden, Robert D. Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88. Later that year, she advised on coping with a family Christmas. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. You can also manage your account details and your print subscription after logging in. The Guardian. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. She obtained papal permission to leave her congregation and to become a consecrated virgin and hermit. 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. She soared to international stardom with her BBC documentaries on the history of art. And her views on God were challenging. Beckett's death was a huge loss for the art world. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. Insightful, passionate, intelligent, contemplative. 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. Cookie Settings, Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island. Ive no time for gardening and letter-writing, the usual let-outs for those who are alone.. 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? 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. I think Mother called me Wendy because she thought I would be small and pretty. Odyssey was the most successful BBC art program since Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, which aired in the United States 23 years earlier. Wendy is greatly missed by her husband Eugene, daughters Amanda (Jay) and Nicole (Tyler), sister Cheri, grandchildren Lochlan, Beckett, Evera, Nessaya and extended family. Reminding viewers that this child was the son of God in Christian theology, she offered her unconventional best advice. It was inevitable that the Church Times should seek to publish extracts from her books, and even invite her to contribute. David Willcock, executive producer for Spire Films, has worked with Sister Wendy Beckett on several of her series. Password reset instructions will be sent to your registered email address. She was 88.[34]. They have rejected the false god. In 1991, after 45 years of the cloistered life, Sister Wendy Beckett stepped out of the convent and into London's National Gallery. Alexandra Kiely 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. Sister Wendy Beckett, the cloistered nun who ventured out of seclusion to . Sister Wendy was great. [12] Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art was published in 2008 to celebrate the Year of Saint Paul. ), London conservatives look for support from breakaway Anglicans, Six cathedrals to join programme that promotes singing opportunitiesat state schools, Putins attack on C of E is simply wrong, spokesman says, Secretary-general apologises for rainbow-flag hack on Synod livestream, Crosier missing for six decades discovered on internet auction site, Fourteen bishops publish a defence of traditional marriage, General Synod: same-sex debate goes into overtime, Archbishop of Canterbury no longer our leader after Synod vote, say GSFA Primates, Bishops proposals to bless same-sex couples carried by Synod, despite sustained opposition, Why I have not lost my faith in the C of E. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the . 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Its clear from just a quick glance at one of her videos that Sister Wendy truly believed in the power of art and beauty. Her attitude to Sister Wendy on Prayer, published in 2007, was ambivalent. "[5], Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where her father was studying medicine. This recording, from the translation by M. L. Del Mastro and adapted for Sister Wendy by Donna K. Triggs, was finally released as a CD in 2021, entitled Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich read by Sister Wendy Beckett. 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? She had regular contact with just one other person: the nun who brought her milk and the mail. 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. 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. 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. PBS / WGBH Educational Foundation, 2001. 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. 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. Four years later Sister Wendys American Collection aired, profiling six notable American museums. 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. 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. She was 88. For all of her unique features as a commentator, it was Becketts ease in describing nude paintings that most confounded her viewers. Some of her art world colleagues criticized her lack of exposure to original works of art, but she had at least as many admirers. Be still; let the wonder become real to you; accept the child as Lord; and thank him for such inconceivable love. Sister Wendy Beckett Obituary. Beal sent it to her without charge. [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. As Catholics enter into Lent, a season that we mark by acts of both repentance and service, it is worth considering how we might move from alarm at antisemitism to action. Maintaining her vow of poverty, she donated all her earnings to the Carmelite order. She was a hit, a natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama that made art accessible to the general public. 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. She cut an unconventional figure for a television personality with her black nuns habit and oversized eyeglasses. Four years later Sister Wendys American Collection aired, profiling six notable American museums year of Paul... 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