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 her passion for self-denial, she had not seen a movie since 1945, visited a museum or even seen a great painting, only reproductions in books. 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 wrote, asking for a catalog of a George Segal sculpture exhibit. The austerity and simplicity of this lifestyle was reflected when she was later briefly diverted into food writing for The Daily Telegraph in 1994: Make yourself a cup of tea and cut a nice slice of brown bread, she instructed. And Gods finger touches that of Man.. Sister Wendy began stud. Becketts frequent director, David Willcock, referred to her as Wens and marveled at the effect she had on strangers. After suffering three grand mal seizures and learning that she had a form of epilepsy, she received Vatican consent to give up teaching for a life of solitude. He fell in love but he killed her.. She didnt like Wendy. It made her think of Peter Pan.. In 1988 her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published. Subscribe to DailyArt Magazine newsletter, Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88, She loved Star Trek, horse racing and swigging Baileys: Art-loving Sister Wendy really was a one-off masterpieces, says JANE FRYER, Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon, Sister Wendy Beckett: an unlikely star with an inspirational faith in beauty, Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88, The Art of Ekphrasis: Shakespeares Lucrece, Atala: The Tragedy that Transcended Pages. Please visit ourmembership pageto learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. Sister Wendy, a clever and perceptive woman, was herself aware of the contradiction and struggled to square the circle, some times more successfully than others. One of her last programs was Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum, which aired in October 2002. | READ MORE. 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. Sister Wendy always placed great value on art being accessible and enjoyable for everybody. Her appearance in an ITV programme, Visions, described as a beautiful vignette, was followed two years later by her own programme, Sister Wendys Odyssey. From an early age she intended to become a nun, and at 16 she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a teaching order, as Sister Michael of St. Peter. She was an effective and knowledgeable presenter, and people enjoyed her quirky style and insights. Sister Wendy herself said she was bemused but not displeased by the accolade. She liked wonderful sweet people who thanked her for helping them understand paintings, she told The New York Times in 1997. Sister Wendy Beckett in 1997. Art Critique. Search by Name. 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. 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. In 1946, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education. You have a cold heart.. Fryer, Jane. She was 88. [13], Beckett required medical treatment as an outpatient at a local hospital.[when?] PBS / WGBH Educational Foundation, 2001. [9] Later she moved to Johannesburg where she was appointed the superior of the local convent, while she also lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand. The Most Memorable Contestants of 'American Idol': Where Are They Now? Every contribution, however big or small, is very valuable for our future. The Carmelites offered her a home on their property and took care of her for the rest of her life. Still, she was spellbound by art: She read about it voraciously, and began writing about it. I am prepared to marvel at their inexplicable enthusiasm.. Read about our approach to external linking. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. 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. She joined a convent at 16 and started studying fine art in the 1980s. But those who made series such as Sister Wendys Odyssey (1992) and Sister Wendys Story of Painting (1996) recall that, at the time, she seemed to be enjoying herself on and off camera. Updates? Sister Wendy began stud. Beckett is survived by her sister, Barbara. She basically taught herself everything she knew about art, and then she taught it to lots of other people. [32], In 1993, Sister Wendy recorded an abridged audio version of Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. Sister Wendy was great. A surprising rise to fame catapulted her into television stardom, where she used her platform to share artistic masterpieces with the public. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. In 1970, she returned to England and moved into the trailer at the Carmelite Monastery. 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. So, dont ever think that you cant enjoy and understand art if you dont have an art history degree. And when she did begin studying it, she did so all on her own, through books. Sister Wendy. Articles by The Associated Press, The AP. Sister Wendy Beckett, the cloistered nun who ventured out of seclusion to . Read reports from issues stretching back to 1863, search for your parish or see if any of the clergy you know get a mention. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. If you dont know about God, art is the only thing that can set you free, she explained. 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. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1994. Born in South Africa in 1930, Wendy Beckett received her dual vocations -- God and art -- early in life. Why am I being asked to create an account? December 31, 2018. But when she wasnt on camera, she went back to solitary contemplation. As a devout Catholic and Consecrated Virgin, you might expect Sister Wendy to have been uncomfortable addressing works of art from other religions, nudes, and sexual subject matter. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. It was a slightly daunting task to contact her, but no less daunting was the tiny handwriting in which her contributions returned. Her insights into the artists she encountered on screen struck a chord with many who had previously lacked the vocabulary and the confidence to feel at home in art galleries. She was ambivalent about celebrity. Sister Wendy began stud Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88. 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. She was 88. Low-profile art world family seeks personal assistant, NBCs Chicago series have strong showings but CBS wins weekly TV ratings race, Hunger Games star Jena Malone says someone I had worked with sexually assaulted her, Travis Barkers finger injury delays Blink-182 tour: One of those freak accidents. In the 19th century, Europeans went crazy for one story: Atala, or the Story of Two Lovers in the Desert. Sister Wendys Grand Tour: Discovering Europes Greatest Art. (AP Photo/Victoria Arocho, File), Were sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. December 26, 2018. Submit an Obituary . She graduated from Oxford with high honors in English literature, and one of her original jobs in her monastery was translating Medieval Latin texts. Privacy Statement Her next book, published in 2011, The Christ Journey, consists of her commentaries on the artwork of Greg Tricker. 2023 BBC. After Sister Wendys American Collection and Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum had made her name with US TV viewers in 2001-02, she declined any further offers. Menu. Read about our approach to external linking. The art historian and critic Sister Wendy Beckett died aged 88 on Wednesday Dec, 26, 2018. She was 88. 4) by Franz Schubert, her chosen book was "an enormous book of logical puzzles", and her luxury item was a "refrigerated tabernacle". . Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018) was probably the world's most unconventional art historian. She always returned to the austere seclusion that was her home for nearly a half-century, although her trailer was upgraded in 1994. TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. See also The Art of Looking at Art, a Britannica sidebar written by Sister Wendy. He added: "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all.". While still a child, Beckett moved with her family to Scotland. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018), contemplative nun and consecrated virgin, delighted audiences worldwide with her lively BBC documentaries on the history of art. "[5], Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where her father was studying medicine. Museum postcards and exhibition catalogs were her main research materials. [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. Filmed in 100 days, the series was broadcast in Britain by the BBC in 1996 and in the United States by PBS in 1997. Postcards from God was created by Marcus Reeves, not the originators of Jerry Springer: The Musical as stated in an earlier version. 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. Beal sent it to her without charge. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930-2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. Schoolchildren ran to her side when they saw her crossing the county museums plaza. 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. 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. The capacity to see, to open up the vision of reality that an artist offers, is innate in us all. She loved Star Trek, horse racing and swigging Baileys: Art-loving Sister Wendy really was a one-off masterpieces, says JANE FRYER. It was as she wanted it. 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. Copyright 2023 America Press Inc. | All Rights Reserved. [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. She was 88.[34]. 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. Climb the mountain. 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. At lunchtime, her waiter sang to her on bended knee beside her chair. In 1991, after 45 years of the cloistered life, Sister Wendy Beckett stepped out of the convent and into London's National Gallery. sister wendy beckett by TIM - YouTube thoughts about sister Wendy Beckett who died on 26th December thoughts about sister Wendy Beckett who died on 26th December. 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. 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. The saints are the people, weak and imperfect like ourselves, who said a total Yes to Gods love. 2. You make such a fool of yourself.. Menu. DailyArt Magazine needs your support. The nun passed away on Boxing Day 2018 at the age of 88 - here's everything you need to know about her. Find an Obituary. Beckett was born in South Africa and raised in Scotland. 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. Your Privacy Rights She taught in Cape Town, South Africa, and Liverpool in northern England. McFadden, Robert D. Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88. 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). Now its on to find the true one.. When he finally met her at LACMA, Beal understood. It is not that they were strong enough, or virtuous enough, to win his love, because that love is always freely given, but only those we call saints actually did that blessed taking; accepted the reality of being loved with all its consequences, she wrote. She also penned books that focused solely on religion, notably Sister Wendy on Prayer (2010) and Spiritual Letters (2013). Do you thrive on seeing people come to faith? Wendy Mary Beckett was born in Johannesburg on Feb. 25, 1930, to Aubrey and Dorothy (Sheehan) Beckett. 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. In view of her religious state, this came as a surprise to some viewers. Once she had finished her degree, Sister Wendy returned to South Africa and spent some 20 years teaching in convent schools. Sister Wendy Beckett was a BBC presenter and art historian. Her knowledge has passed down and is now ingrained in many people through her books and television programmes. Odyssey was the most successful BBC art program since Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, which aired in the United States 23 years earlier. 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. I loved listening to her talk about art. The Republican. My time is for God. This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the debut Sister Wendys Odyssey. Its clear from just a quick glance at one of her videos that Sister Wendy truly believed in the power of art and beauty. Asked how she managed to read so many crime novels, Beckett had a quick answer. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, including NYmag.com, Flavorwire and Tina Brown Media's Women in the World. For all her success, she remained a nun with commitments to prayer, solitude (when possible) and vows of poverty. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Sister Wendy Beckett during her visit to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham in 2004. 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. By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes. And indeed wicked it is! Time Magazine. It launched her television career. 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. She called her television debut at the Norfolk gallery the fatal moment, in her interview with the Times. Let Jesus give himself. Returning to South Africa, she taught for 15 years at a Cape Town convent and later lectured at Johannesburgs University of Witwatersrand. She studied literature at Oxford in the early 1950s, living in a convent and observing its strict code of silence for four years. 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. Her father was a physician. Accessed online. Lawson, Mark. 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 died on December 26, 2018 at the age of 88. Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon. 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 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. 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. 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. Cookie Settings, Dried Lake Reveals New Statue on Easter Island. Mother Teresas life work was to care for the worlds unwanted. Search by Name. Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series, published in July 2011. 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. 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