The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the . 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. It is a novel by Ren de Chateaubriand Never miss DailyArt Magazine's stories. When she was a child, her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father attended medical school before they returned to South Africa. Cookie Policy Her health was never good she had suffered from a weak heart since childhood and could very quickly run out of energy in mid-take. . Her favorite artists, according to the Times, were Poussin, Velazquez, Goya, Titian and Cezanne, some of the most revered names in art history. I loved listening to her talk about art. "[5], Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland where her father was studying medicine. [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. Anyone can read what you share. Think young sumo wrestler.. They delivered her meals to the unheated trailer where she slept on the floor, surrounded by towers of art books. Sister Wendy Beckett during her visit to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Birmingham in 2004. Read about our approach to external linking. Like Sister Wendy, I believe that art is for everyone. Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series, published in July 2011. A scene inside the Vatican from Sister Wendys Story of Painting, one of her many BBC series. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett Obituary. 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Sister Wendy died on December 26, 2018 at the age of 88. Beckett, Sister Wendy with Patricia Wright. Sister Wendy speaking about the true meaning of Christmas and iconography (video originally published in 2010). The Guardian. ), 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. Her attitude to Sister Wendy on Prayer, published in 2007, was ambivalent. For all of her unique features as a commentator, it was Becketts ease in describing nude paintings that most confounded her viewers. 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). Give yourself over to contemplation. Submit an Obituary . Sister Wendys Story of Painting, which first aired in the 1990s, enclosed Carmelite monastery at Quidenham in Norfolk. She lived here as a hermit, rising at midnight to pray, and giving seven hours each day to her devotions. In 1991 the BBC commissioned her to present a television documentary on the National Gallery in London. Beckett narrates the following documentaries: In 2006 she narrated an audio commentary for tourists to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican: Additionally, she features in the following: As a television presenter, she is known for having had a rhotacism, a speech impediment which affected her pronunciation of Rs.[4][29][30]. No one else does it quite like you, one woman told her. Through this the two became good friends. She graduated at the top of her class. In moments of candour, though, she would admit that she liked to share knowledge she had originally joined a teaching order, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, in 1947, but had to give up the classroom after having epileptic seizures brought on by stress. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. 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, 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. To those who regarded her life as a hermit and a TV celebrity as self-contradictory, the response lay in her sense of obedience. 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. 4) by Franz Schubert, her chosen book was "an enormous book of logical puzzles", and her luxury item was a "refrigerated tabernacle". She died on December 26, 2018. 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. 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.". She and Michelangelo are no doubt having an in depth eternal discussion about the latters art work in the Sistine Chapel. And her pubic hair is so soft and fluffy., For the rest of her life she was asked to explain her views on sex. 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. Three Jesuit astronomers and the 16th-century pope who commissioned the Gregorian calendar have recently been honored with having asteroids named after them. Insightful, passionate, intelligent, contemplative. She taught in Cape Town, South Africa, and Liverpool in northern England. She was ambivalent about celebrity. Please visit ourmembership pageto learn how you can invest in our work by subscribing to the magazine or making a donation. I think that this type of open-mindedness towards things outside our usual preferences is essential for every art lover. She was 88. Prior to that, she had studied English literature at Oxford University and taught in her native homeland of South Africa. Her request was granted, and in 1970 she moved back to England, settling on the grounds of the Carmelite monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. The Republican Homepage. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. We ask our visitors to confirm their email to keep your account secure and make sure you're able to receive email from us. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died at the monastery Wednesday afternoon. Obituaries Section. Mobile Register and Baldwin County Homepage. Sister Wendy never sought a life in the spotlight. We ask readers to log in so that we can recognize you as a registered user and give you unrestricted access to our website. (AP Photo/Victoria Arocho, File), Were sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. 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. 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. She spoke very comfortably and often highly of such works. 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. Her programmes included Odyssey, Sister Wendy's Grand Tour and Sister Wendy's Story of Painting. So in her honor, lets learn a few important things from Sister Wendy. You can either click on the link in your confirmation email or simply re-enter your email address below to confirm it. Shame on you, Degas, she scolded the French Impressionist for portraying women in gawky poses. 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. A natural if eccentric personality with a gift for drama, Sister Wendy helped make art accessible to the general public. Her caravan in the grounds of the Carmel was small, cold and basic, but was crammed with postcards and calendars of works of art. Remembering Sister Wendy Beckett: beloved Nun, art historian and accidental TV phenomenon. Dressed in black nun's habit, Sister Wendy stood in front of paintings, and without script or autocue discussed them to the camera. And her views on God were challenging. 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. In fact, being unusual might have even helped her. She was a Carmelite nun who became famous making art documentaries for British and U.S. television. 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. Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. Alexandra Kiely That title, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The impact she had on audiences was so great that she even had a musical written about her. They have rejected the false god. This article was amended on 31 December 2018. Mobile Register and Baldwin County. 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. 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. TV art historian and nun Sister Wendy Beckett has died at the age of 88, it has been announced. Meet Sister Wendy. 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. Logging in will also give you access to commenting features on our website. 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. Its because of you that Im here today.. 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. Reminding viewers that this child was the son of God in Christian theology, she offered her unconventional best advice. She was 88. Sister Wendy began stud 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, the cloistered nun who ventured out of seclusion to . This book, entitled The Iconic Jesus, takes the reader through scenes from the New Testament, accompanied by Beckett's reflections. Some of her art world colleagues criticized her lack of exposure to original works of art, but she had at least as many admirers. She liked wonderful sweet people who thanked her for helping them understand paintings, she told The New York Times in 1997. Odyssey was the most successful BBC art program since Kenneth Clarks Civilisation, which aired in the United States 23 years earlier. All of her earnings were also assigned to the Carmelite order. Climb the mountain. Faced with poor health, Sister Wendy asked to pursue a life of solitude. 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. 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. 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 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. It was as she wanted it. 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 far from it! 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 first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988. "She was a hugely popular BBC presenter and will be fondly remembered by us all. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham at the age of 88. 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. God is such a total mystery. Alexandra believes that enjoying the art of the past is the closest she can get to time travel, only much safer. It challenges the human spirit to accept a deeper reality.. Asked once to explain her choice, she said, I am a nun. Returning to South Africa, she taught for 15 years at a Cape Town convent and later lectured at Johannesburgs University of Witwatersrand. Emerging from her hermit-like . Sister Wendy Beckett (1930 - 2018) was the unlikely star of art history documentary programs on the BBC. "Sister Wendy had a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts," BBC director of arts Jonty Claypole said. The Guardian. Time Magazine. In 2001 poor health and a desire to return to a life of solitude led Sister Wendy to announce that she was ending her BBC series. 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. Born in South Africa in 1930, she wanted to be a nun as a child, and joined the Sisters of Notre Dame, aged 16. Aside from the sheer novelty of having a nun on mainstream television unknown since the brief chart-topping career of Jeanine Deckers, the Singing Nun of the early 1960s Sister Wendys success rested largely on her formidable intellect (she received a congratulatory first in English from St Annes College, Oxford, in 1953) and her sure-footed ability to bridge the gulf between fine art and a popular audience. She was, the Church Times TV critic at that time, David Johnson, observed, an unself-conscious natural for television. In the 1990s she became one of the most unlikely television stars. 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