fbpx
Wikipedia

Wendy Beckett

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.[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.[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."[5]

Sister Wendy
Portrait, 2022
Born
Wendy Mary Beckett

25 February 1930 (1930-02-25)
Died26 December 2018(2018-12-26) (aged 88)
Quidenham, Norfolk, England
EducationSt Anne's College, Oxford
Occupations
Known forSeveral BBC art history documentaries

Biography edit

Early life edit

Beckett was born in Johannesburg in the Union of South Africa, but was later raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father was studying medicine.[6] In 1946, she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education. 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[7] in English Literature.[8] 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.[9] From childhood Beckett suffered from a weak heart and later had to give up teaching, after having epileptic seizures brought on by stress.[6]

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 (1962–1965). 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.[10] 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.[11][10]

Return to England edit

In 1970, health problems forced Beckett to abandon teaching and to return to England. She obtained papal permission to leave her congregation and to become a consecrated virgin and hermit. 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.[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.[12]

Interest in art edit

Beckett spent many years translating Medieval Latin scripts before deciding, in 1980, to pursue art. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, was published in 1988.[13] Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art was published in 2008 to celebrate the Year of Saint Paul. 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. Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series, published in July 2011. This book, entitled The Iconic Jesus, takes the reader through scenes from the New Testament, accompanied by Beckett's reflections. Her next book, published in 2011, The Christ Journey, consists of her commentaries on the artwork of Greg Tricker.[14]

Beckett required medical treatment as an outpatient at a local hospital.[when?] The television chef Delia Smith, a Roman Catholic convert, volunteered to drive her there each week. Smith also drove her around the country to meet the artists when Beckett was writing her book about contemporary women artists. Through this the two became good friends.[15]

Having overheard her commentary while attending an art exhibit, a film crew asked to videotape her. This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led, in 1992, to the debut Sister Wendy's Odyssey.[13]

Beckett was often effusively verbal in her descriptions of the human body in paintings, both male and female. In view of her religious state, this came as a surprise to some viewers. 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." "None of the Sisters has ever raised an eyebrow at anything I've said or written because they're not cramped by this false idea that sexuality is something wrong ... God looked at His creation and thought it was good, thought it was beautiful, we're made in the image of God, and there's nothing amiss in any part of the human body."[16]

Television and media work edit

Beckett narrated the following documentaries:

  • Sister Wendy's Odyssey (1992)[17]
  • Sister Wendy's Grand Tour (1994)[17]
  • Sister Wendy's Pains of Glass (1995)[18]
  • Sister Wendy's Story of Painting (1996)[17]
  • Saints with Sister Wendy (1997)[19]
  • Sister Wendy's American Collection (2001)[20]
  • Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum (2002)[21]

In 2006 she narrated an audio commentary for tourists to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican:

  • Sister Wendy's Sistine Chapel Artineraries Tour (2006)[22]

Additionally, she features in the following:

  • Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers (1997)[23]
  • Three appearances on Charlie Rose (3 October 1997; 18 November 1997; 19 September 2000) are available on DVD.[24]
  • The Art of Dying (2009) (Dan Cruickshank interviews Sister Wendy on the helpfulness of art in the face of death)[25]
  • Churches: How to Read Them (2010) (Richard Taylor and Sister Wendy discuss the intense medieval devotion to the Virgin Mary and its effect on Reformation)[26]
  • Treasures of Heaven (2011) (Andrew Graham-Dixon talks to Sister Wendy about relics and reliquaries)[27]
  • Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel (25 December 2012)[28][29]

As a television presenter, she is known for having had a rhotacism, a speech impediment which affected her pronunciation of Rs.[4][30][31]

Other media edit

A musical, Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical, written by Marcus Reeves and Beccy Smith[32] was performed at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End in 2007 and Hackney Empire Studio Theatre in 2008.

In December 2012 Sister Wendy was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Her favourite choice was "Serenade" (D 957 No. 4) by Franz Schubert, her chosen book was "an enormous book of logical puzzles", and her luxury item was a "refrigerated tabernacle".[33]

In 1993, Sister Wendy recorded an abridged audio version of Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. 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.[34]

Death edit

Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. She was 88.[35]

Publications edit

  • Dearest Sister Wendy ... A Surprising Story of Faith and Friendship[36] (2022)
  • The Christ Journey – the art of Greg Tricker[37] (2011)
  • Sister Wendy Contemplates the Iconic Jesus[38] (2011)
  • Encounters With God: In Quest of Ancient Icons of Mary[39] (2009)
  • Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art[40] (2008)
  • Bernard of Clairvaux: Sermons for Advent And the Christmas Season, with John Leinenweber (Editor), Irene Edmonds (Translator), Wendy Mary Beckett (Translator), Conrad Greenia (Translator) (2008)
  • Sister Wendy on Prayer[41] (2007)
  • Sister Wendy's Meditations on the Mysteries of Our Faith[42] (2007)
  • Speaking to the Heart: 100 Favourite Poems[43] (2006)
  • Sky-blue Is the Sapphire' Crimson the Rose: Stillpoint of Desire in John of Forde by John, abbot of Forde, translated by Wendy Beckett[44] (2006)
  • Joy Lasts: On the Spiritual in Art[45] (2006)
  • Sister Wendy's Impressionist Masterpieces[46] (2001)
  • Sister Wendy's American Masterpieces[47] (2001)
  • Sister Wendy's American Collection[48] (2000)
  • In the Midst of Chaos, Peace (with Mary J. Dorcy and Dan Paulos)[49] (2000)
  • Sister Wendy's Book of Muses (with Justin Pumfrey)[50] (2000)
  • Sister Wendy's 1,000 Masterpieces (with Patricia Wright)[51] (1999)
  • My Favourite Things: 75 Works of Art from Around the World[52] (1999)
  • Sister Wendy's Nativity[53] (1998)
  • Inner Life: A Fellow Traveler's Guide to Prayer (by David Torkington; foreword by Sister Wendy) (1998)
  • Sister Wendy's Odyssey: A Journey of Artistic Discovery[54] (1998)
  • Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations[55] (1998)
  • Sister Wendy's Book of Saints[56] (1998)
  • The Mystery of Love: Saints in Art Through the Ages[57] (1998)
  • Sister Wendy's Story of Christmas: Adventures in Art[58] (1997)
  • Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers: The Complete Conversation (edited by Karen Johnson)[59] (1997)
  • The Wisdom of the Apostles (compiled by Philip Law; introduction by Sister Wendy) (1997)
  • The Duke and the Peasant: Life in the Middle Ages (with Jean De Berry) (1997)
  • Max Beckmann and the Self[60] (1997)
  • Sister Wendy's Grand Tour: Discovering Europe's Great Art[61] (1996)
  • Pains of Glass: The Story of the Passion from King's College Chapel, Cambridge (with George Pattison)[62] (1996)
  • Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Joy[63] (1995)
  • Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Love[64] (1995)
  • Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Peace[65] (1995)
  • Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Silence[66] (1995)
  • A Child's Book of Prayer in Art[67] (1995)
  • The Story of Painting[47] (1994)
  • The Gaze of Love: Meditations on Art and Spiritual Transformation[68] (1994)
  • The Mystical Now: Art and the Sacred[69] (1993)
  • Contemporary Women Artists[47] (1988)

References edit

  1. ^ Oxford University List of Members for the Year 1972, London, OUP, 1972, p.720, which records full name.
  2. ^ a b Wintle, Angela (21 December 2010). "World of Sister Wendy Beckett, nun and art historian". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  3. ^ Goodwin, George M. (1998). "A New Jewish Elite: Curators, Directors, and Benefactors of American Art Museums". Modern Judaism. 18 (1): 47–79. doi:10.1093/mj/18.1.47. JSTOR 1396532. S2CID 201765319.
  4. ^ a b Sella, Marshall (26 January 1997). "You Have a Cold Heart, Degas!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  5. ^ Bruni, Frank (30 September 1997). "Sister Wendy, Cloistered". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  6. ^ a b https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/dec/26/sister-wendy-beckett-obituary
  7. ^ John Walsh Interview, The Independent 22 June 1996; retrieved 28 March 2013
  8. ^ Interview with Clive Anderson, BBC Radio 2, 28 January 2007
  9. ^ Weinberg, Kate (8 May 2019). "Culture Clinic: Sister Wendy Beckett". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  10. ^ a b Arthur Jones (26 December 2012), "Stepping inside art with Sister Wendy", National Catholic Reporter
  11. ^ Palko Karasz (27 December 2018). "Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88". The New York Times. p. B12.
  12. ^ "Sister Wendy Beckett – British nun and art critic". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Sister Wendy Beckett | British nun and art critic". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  14. ^ Wendy Beckett (2011) The Christ journey: Sister Wendy Beckett reflects on the art of Greg Tricker, St Paul's Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8543-9822-5
  15. ^ Brown, Mick (16 February 2008). "Delia Smith on How to Cheat at Cooking". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  16. ^ Kirk, Michael, Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers (Biography), Wendy Beckett, Bill Moyers, New Television Workshop, WGBH Boston, retrieved 5 January 2024
  17. ^ a b c "TV art historian Wendy Beckett dies". BBC News. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  18. ^ Lazere, Arthur (8 August 2001). "Sister Wendy's American Collection". culturevulture.net. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  19. ^ "Sister Wendy Brings the Saints to Life". National Catholic Register. 30 November 1997. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  20. ^ "Sister Wendy's American Collection". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  21. ^ "Sister Wendy At The Norton Simon Museum". KPBS Public Media. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  22. ^ "500 Years On, The Vatican Museums Go Digital". itravelmag.com. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  23. ^ "Sister Wendy's American Collection – About the Series – Buy the Book". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  24. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (26 December 2018). "Sister Wendy Beckett, Nun Who Became a BBC Star, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  25. ^ "BBC Four – The Art of Dying". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  26. ^ "BBC Four – Churches: How to Read Them, Reformation: Chaos and Creation". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  27. ^ "BBC Four – Treasures of Heaven". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  28. ^ "BBC Four – Arena, Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  29. ^ . CTVC. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  30. ^ Harvey, Doug (19 June 2002). "Nun Dare Call It Criticism". LA Weekly.
  31. ^ Riding, Alan (1 September 1997). "She May Not Get Out Much, but She Does Know a Lot About Art". The New York Times.
  32. ^ Shenton, Mark (11 January 2007). "Reviews: Postcards from God". The Stage. Retrieved 25 June 2007.
  33. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – Desert Island Discs, Sister Wendy Beckett". BBC. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  34. ^ entitled Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich read by Sister Wendy Beckett
  35. ^ "Sister Wendy Beckett, TV art historian, dies at 88". BBC News. 26 December 2018.
  36. ^ "Dearest Sister Wendy ... A Surprising Story of Faith and Friendship". Orbis Books. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Publication: The Christ Journey – Sister Wendy Beckett reflects on the art of Greg Tricker". Piano Nobile. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  38. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 2018). Sister Wendy Contemplates- the Iconic Jesus. Saint Paul Publications. ISBN 9780854398126. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  39. ^ "encounters-with-god". www.orbisbooks.com. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  40. ^ "Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art – 9780854397525 by Beckett, Wendy- St Pauls Publishing of 0/11/2008". stpauls.org.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  41. ^ "Sister Wendy on Prayer". .bloomsbury.com. 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  42. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 2018). Sister Wendy's Meditations on the Mysteries of Our Faith. Liguori Publications. ISBN 9780764815775. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  43. ^ "Speaking to the Heart: 100 Favourite Poems by Wendy Beckett - Books". www.hachette.com.au. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  44. ^ John; Beckett, Wendy.; Costello, Hilary. (27 December 2018). Sky-blue is the sapphire, crimson the rose: still-point of desire in John of Forde. Cistercian Publications. ISBN 9780879075699. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Hathi Trust.
  45. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 2018). Joy Lasts: On the Spiritual in Art. Getty Publications. ISBN 9780892368433. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  46. ^ Beckett, Wendy; Winston, Robert M. L.; Wright, Patricia (27 December 2018). Sister Wendy's Impressionist Masterpieces. DK Pub. ISBN 9780789463067. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  47. ^ a b c "Sister Wendy Beckett - British nun and art critic". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  48. ^ Beckett, Wendy; Eady, Associates Toby (24 October 2000). Sister Wendy's American Collection. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060195564. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  49. ^ Beckett, Wendy; Dorcy, Mary Jean (27 December 1999). In the Midst of Chaos, Peace. Ignatius Press. ISBN 9780898707649. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  50. ^ Beckett, Wendy (1 November 2000). Sister Wendy's Book of Muses. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 9780810943889. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  51. ^ Beckett, Wendy; Wright, Patricia (4 October 1999). Sister Wendy's one thousand masterpieces. DK Pub. ISBN 9780789446039. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  52. ^ Beckett, Wendy (1 October 1999). My Favorite Things: 75 Works of Art from Around the World. Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 9780810943872. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  53. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1998). Sister Wendy's Nativity. Loyola Press. ISBN 9780829413670. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  54. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1998). Sister Wendy's Odyssey: A Journey of Artistic Discovery. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. ISBN 9781556708572. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  55. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1998). Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations. DK Pub. ISBN 9780789437464. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  56. ^ Beckett, Wendy; vaticana, Biblioteca apostolica (1 August 1998). Sister Wendy's book of saints. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9780789423986. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  57. ^ Beckett, Wendy (28 November 1996). The Mystery of Love: Saints in Art Through the Centuries. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060606794. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  58. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1997). Sister Wendy's Story of Christmas. Prestel. ISBN 9783791318875. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  59. ^ Moyers, Bill D.; Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1997). Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers: The Complete Conversation. WGBH Educational Foundation. ISBN 9781578070770. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  60. ^ Beckett, Wendy; Beckmann, Max (27 December 2018). Max Beckmann and the Self. Prestel. ISBN 9783791328775. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  61. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1996). Sister Wendy's Grand Tour: Discovering Europe's Great Art. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. ISBN 9781556705090. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  62. ^ Beckett, Wendy; Pattison, George (1 April 1996). Pains of Glass: The Story of the Passion from King's College Chapel, Cambridge. BBC Books. ISBN 9780563371700. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  63. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1995). Meditations on Joy. Dorling Kindersley Pub. ISBN 9780789401793. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  64. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 2018). Love: Meditations on Love. DK Publishing. ISBN 9780789453389. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  65. ^ Beckett, Wendy (1 September 1995). Meditations on peace. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9780751302363. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Google Books.
  66. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1995). Meditations on Silence. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9780751302370. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  67. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1995). A Child's Book of Prayer in Art. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9781564588753. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  68. ^ Beckett, Wendy (27 December 1993). The Gaze of Love: Meditations on Art and Spiritual Transformation. HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 9780060608286. Retrieved 27 December 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  69. ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: Mystical Now C by Sister Wendy Beckett, Author, Wendy Beckett, Author Universe Publishing(NY) $25.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-87663-647-3". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 27 December 2018.

External links edit

]

wendy, beckett, wendy, mary, beckett, february, 1930, december, 2018, better, known, sister, wendy, british, religious, sister, historian, became, known, internationally, during, 1990s, when, presented, series, television, documentaries, history, programmes, s. 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 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 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 5 Sister WendySNDdeN OCarmPortrait 2022BornWendy Mary Beckett25 February 1930 1930 02 25 Johannesburg Union of South AfricaDied26 December 2018 2018 12 26 aged 88 Quidenham Norfolk EnglandEducationSt Anne s College OxfordOccupationsReligious sisterArt historianKnown forSeveral BBC art history documentaries Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 Return to England 2 Interest in art 3 Television and media work 3 1 Other media 4 Death 5 Publications 6 References 7 External linksBiography editEarly life edit Beckett was born in Johannesburg in the Union of South Africa but was later raised in Edinburgh Scotland where her father was studying medicine 6 In 1946 she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur a Roman Catholic congregation of religious sisters dedicated to education 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 7 in English Literature 8 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 9 From childhood Beckett suffered from a weak heart and later had to give up teaching after having epileptic seizures brought on by stress 6 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 1962 1965 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 10 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 11 10 Return to England edit In 1970 health problems forced Beckett to abandon teaching and to return to England She obtained papal permission to leave her congregation and to become a consecrated virgin and hermit 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 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 12 Interest in art editBeckett spent many years translating Medieval Latin scripts before deciding in 1980 to pursue art Her first book Contemporary Women Artists was published in 1988 13 Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art was published in 2008 to celebrate the Year of Saint Paul 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 Beckett continued writing about her interest in icons in the second volume of her Sister Wendy Contemplates series published in July 2011 This book entitled The Iconic Jesus takes the reader through scenes from the New Testament accompanied by Beckett s reflections Her next book published in 2011 The Christ Journey consists of her commentaries on the artwork of Greg Tricker 14 Beckett required medical treatment as an outpatient at a local hospital when The television chef Delia Smith a Roman Catholic convert volunteered to drive her there each week Smith also drove her around the country to meet the artists when Beckett was writing her book about contemporary women artists Through this the two became good friends 15 Having overheard her commentary while attending an art exhibit a film crew asked to videotape her This brought her to the attention of a BBC producer and led in 1992 to the debut Sister Wendy s Odyssey 13 Beckett was often effusively verbal in her descriptions of the human body in paintings both male and female In view of her religious state this came as a surprise to some viewers 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 None of the Sisters has ever raised an eyebrow at anything I ve said or written because they re not cramped by this false idea that sexuality is something wrong God looked at His creation and thought it was good thought it was beautiful we re made in the image of God and there s nothing amiss in any part of the human body 16 Television and media work editBeckett narrated the following documentaries Sister Wendy s Odyssey 1992 17 Sister Wendy s Grand Tour 1994 17 Sister Wendy s Pains of Glass 1995 18 Sister Wendy s Story of Painting 1996 17 Saints with Sister Wendy 1997 19 Sister Wendy s American Collection 2001 20 Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum 2002 21 In 2006 she narrated an audio commentary for tourists to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican Sister Wendy s Sistine Chapel Artineraries Tour 2006 22 Additionally she features in the following Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers 1997 23 Three appearances on Charlie Rose 3 October 1997 18 November 1997 19 September 2000 are available on DVD 24 The Art of Dying 2009 Dan Cruickshank interviews Sister Wendy on the helpfulness of art in the face of death 25 Churches How to Read Them 2010 Richard Taylor and Sister Wendy discuss the intense medieval devotion to the Virgin Mary and its effect on Reformation 26 Treasures of Heaven 2011 Andrew Graham Dixon talks to Sister Wendy about relics and reliquaries 27 Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel 25 December 2012 28 29 As a television presenter she is known for having had a rhotacism a speech impediment which affected her pronunciation of Rs 4 30 31 Other media edit A musical Postcards from God The Sister Wendy Musical written by Marcus Reeves and Beccy Smith 32 was performed at the Jermyn Street Theatre in the West End in 2007 and Hackney Empire Studio Theatre in 2008 In December 2012 Sister Wendy was the guest for BBC Radio 4 s Desert Island Discs Her favourite choice was Serenade D 957 No 4 by Franz Schubert her chosen book was an enormous book of logical puzzles and her luxury item was a refrigerated tabernacle 33 In 1993 Sister Wendy recorded an abridged audio version of Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich 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 34 Death editBeckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham Norfolk She was 88 35 Publications editDearest Sister Wendy A Surprising Story of Faith and Friendship 36 2022 The Christ Journey the art of Greg Tricker 37 2011 Sister Wendy Contemplates the Iconic Jesus 38 2011 Encounters With God In Quest of Ancient Icons of Mary 39 2009 Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art 40 2008 Bernard of Clairvaux Sermons for Advent And the Christmas Season with John Leinenweber Editor Irene Edmonds Translator Wendy Mary Beckett Translator Conrad Greenia Translator 2008 Sister Wendy on Prayer 41 2007 Sister Wendy s Meditations on the Mysteries of Our Faith 42 2007 Speaking to the Heart 100 Favourite Poems 43 2006 Sky blue Is the Sapphire Crimson the Rose Stillpoint of Desire in John of Forde by John abbot of Forde translated by Wendy Beckett 44 2006 Joy Lasts On the Spiritual in Art 45 2006 Sister Wendy s Impressionist Masterpieces 46 2001 Sister Wendy s American Masterpieces 47 2001 Sister Wendy s American Collection 48 2000 In the Midst of Chaos Peace with Mary J Dorcy and Dan Paulos 49 2000 Sister Wendy s Book of Muses with Justin Pumfrey 50 2000 Sister Wendy s 1 000 Masterpieces with Patricia Wright 51 1999 My Favourite Things 75 Works of Art from Around the World 52 1999 Sister Wendy s Nativity 53 1998 Inner Life A Fellow Traveler s Guide to Prayer by David Torkington foreword by Sister Wendy 1998 Sister Wendy s Odyssey A Journey of Artistic Discovery 54 1998 Sister Wendy s Book of Meditations 55 1998 Sister Wendy s Book of Saints 56 1998 The Mystery of Love Saints in Art Through the Ages 57 1998 Sister Wendy s Story of Christmas Adventures in Art 58 1997 Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers The Complete Conversation edited by Karen Johnson 59 1997 The Wisdom of the Apostles compiled by Philip Law introduction by Sister Wendy 1997 The Duke and the Peasant Life in the Middle Ages with Jean De Berry 1997 Max Beckmann and the Self 60 1997 Sister Wendy s Grand Tour Discovering Europe s Great Art 61 1996 Pains of Glass The Story of the Passion from King s College Chapel Cambridge with George Pattison 62 1996 Sister Wendy s Meditations Meditations on Joy 63 1995 Sister Wendy s Meditations Meditations on Love 64 1995 Sister Wendy s Meditations Meditations on Peace 65 1995 Sister Wendy s Meditations Meditations on Silence 66 1995 A Child s Book of Prayer in Art 67 1995 The Story of Painting 47 1994 The Gaze of Love Meditations on Art and Spiritual Transformation 68 1994 The Mystical Now Art and the Sacred 69 1993 Contemporary Women Artists 47 1988 References edit Oxford University List of Members for the Year 1972 London OUP 1972 p 720 which records full name a b Wintle Angela 21 December 2010 World of Sister Wendy Beckett nun and art historian The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 26 May 2014 Goodwin George M 1998 A New Jewish Elite Curators Directors and Benefactors of American Art Museums Modern Judaism 18 1 47 79 doi 10 1093 mj 18 1 47 JSTOR 1396532 S2CID 201765319 a b Sella Marshall 26 January 1997 You Have a Cold Heart Degas The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 5 March 2016 Bruni Frank 30 September 1997 Sister Wendy Cloistered The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved 5 March 2016 a b https www theguardian com artanddesign 2018 dec 26 sister wendy beckett obituary John Walsh Interview The Independent 22 June 1996 retrieved 28 March 2013 Interview with Clive Anderson BBC Radio 2 28 January 2007 Weinberg Kate 8 May 2019 Culture Clinic Sister Wendy Beckett The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 26 December 2018 a b Arthur Jones 26 December 2012 Stepping inside art with Sister Wendy National Catholic Reporter Palko Karasz 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy Beckett Nun Who Became a BBC Star Dies at 88 The New York Times p B12 Sister Wendy Beckett British nun and art critic Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 28 December 2018 a b Sister Wendy Beckett British nun and art critic Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 5 March 2016 Wendy Beckett 2011 The Christ journey Sister Wendy Beckett reflects on the art of Greg Tricker St Paul s Publishing ISBN 978 0 8543 9822 5 Brown Mick 16 February 2008 Delia Smith on How to Cheat at Cooking The Daily Telegraph London Kirk Michael Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers Biography Wendy Beckett Bill Moyers New Television Workshop WGBH Boston retrieved 5 January 2024 a b c TV art historian Wendy Beckett dies BBC News 26 December 2018 Retrieved 27 December 2018 Lazere Arthur 8 August 2001 Sister Wendy s American Collection culturevulture net Retrieved 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy Brings the Saints to Life National Catholic Register 30 November 1997 Retrieved 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy s American Collection www pbs org Retrieved 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy At The Norton Simon Museum KPBS Public Media 15 January 2013 Retrieved 27 December 2018 500 Years On The Vatican Museums Go Digital itravelmag com Retrieved 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy s American Collection About the Series Buy the Book www pbs org Retrieved 27 December 2018 McFadden Robert D 26 December 2018 Sister Wendy Beckett Nun Who Became a BBC Star Dies at 88 The New York Times Retrieved 27 December 2018 BBC Four The Art of Dying BBC Retrieved 27 June 2019 BBC Four Churches How to Read Them Reformation Chaos and Creation BBC Retrieved 27 June 2019 BBC Four Treasures of Heaven BBC Retrieved 27 June 2019 BBC Four Arena Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel BBC Retrieved 27 June 2019 Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel CTVC Archived from the original on 18 September 2016 Retrieved 18 September 2016 Harvey Doug 19 June 2002 Nun Dare Call It Criticism LA Weekly Riding Alan 1 September 1997 She May Not Get Out Much but She Does Know a Lot About Art The New York Times Shenton Mark 11 January 2007 Reviews Postcards from God The Stage Retrieved 25 June 2007 BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs Sister Wendy Beckett BBC Retrieved 27 June 2019 entitled Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich read by Sister Wendy Beckett Sister Wendy Beckett TV art historian dies at 88 BBC News 26 December 2018 Dearest Sister Wendy A Surprising Story of Faith and Friendship Orbis Books Retrieved 20 March 2024 Publication The Christ Journey Sister Wendy Beckett reflects on the art of Greg Tricker Piano Nobile Retrieved 27 December 2018 Beckett Wendy 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy Contemplates the Iconic Jesus Saint Paul Publications ISBN 9780854398126 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books encounters with god www orbisbooks com Retrieved 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art 9780854397525 by Beckett Wendy St Pauls Publishing of 0 11 2008 stpauls org uk Retrieved 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy on Prayer bloomsbury com 2017 Retrieved 27 December 2018 Beckett Wendy 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy s Meditations on the Mysteries of Our Faith Liguori Publications ISBN 9780764815775 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Speaking to the Heart 100 Favourite Poems by Wendy Beckett Books www hachette com au Retrieved 27 December 2018 John Beckett Wendy Costello Hilary 27 December 2018 Sky blue is the sapphire crimson the rose still point of desire in John of Forde Cistercian Publications ISBN 9780879075699 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Hathi Trust Beckett Wendy 27 December 2018 Joy Lasts On the Spiritual in Art Getty Publications ISBN 9780892368433 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy Winston Robert M L Wright Patricia 27 December 2018 Sister Wendy s Impressionist Masterpieces DK Pub ISBN 9780789463067 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books a b c Sister Wendy Beckett British nun and art critic Encyclopedia Britannica Retrieved 27 December 2018 Beckett Wendy Eady Associates Toby 24 October 2000 Sister Wendy s American Collection HarperCollins ISBN 9780060195564 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy Dorcy Mary Jean 27 December 1999 In the Midst of Chaos Peace Ignatius Press ISBN 9780898707649 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 1 November 2000 Sister Wendy s Book of Muses Harry N Abrams ISBN 9780810943889 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy Wright Patricia 4 October 1999 Sister Wendy s one thousand masterpieces DK Pub ISBN 9780789446039 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 1 October 1999 My Favorite Things 75 Works of Art from Around the World Harry N Abrams ISBN 9780810943872 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy 27 December 1998 Sister Wendy s Nativity Loyola Press ISBN 9780829413670 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 27 December 1998 Sister Wendy s Odyssey A Journey of Artistic Discovery Stewart Tabori amp Chang ISBN 9781556708572 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy 27 December 1998 Sister Wendy s Book of Meditations DK Pub ISBN 9780789437464 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy vaticana Biblioteca apostolica 1 August 1998 Sister Wendy s book of saints Dorling Kindersley ISBN 9780789423986 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 28 November 1996 The Mystery of Love Saints in Art Through the Centuries HarperCollins ISBN 9780060606794 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy 27 December 1997 Sister Wendy s Story of Christmas Prestel ISBN 9783791318875 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Moyers Bill D Beckett Wendy 27 December 1997 Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers The Complete Conversation WGBH Educational Foundation ISBN 9781578070770 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy Beckmann Max 27 December 2018 Max Beckmann and the Self Prestel ISBN 9783791328775 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 27 December 1996 Sister Wendy s Grand Tour Discovering Europe s Great Art Stewart Tabori amp Chang ISBN 9781556705090 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy Pattison George 1 April 1996 Pains of Glass The Story of the Passion from King s College Chapel Cambridge BBC Books ISBN 9780563371700 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 27 December 1995 Meditations on Joy Dorling Kindersley Pub ISBN 9780789401793 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy 27 December 2018 Love Meditations on Love DK Publishing ISBN 9780789453389 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 1 September 1995 Meditations on peace Dorling Kindersley ISBN 9780751302363 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Google Books Beckett Wendy 27 December 1995 Meditations on Silence Dorling Kindersley ISBN 9780751302370 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy 27 December 1995 A Child s Book of Prayer in Art Dorling Kindersley ISBN 9781564588753 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Beckett Wendy 27 December 1993 The Gaze of Love Meditations on Art and Spiritual Transformation HarperSanFrancisco ISBN 9780060608286 Retrieved 27 December 2018 via Internet Archive Nonfiction Book Review Mystical Now C by Sister Wendy Beckett Author Wendy Beckett Author Universe Publishing NY 25 95 160p ISBN 978 0 87663 647 3 PublishersWeekly com Retrieved 27 December 2018 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Wendy Beckett Wendy Beckett at the British Film Institute Wendy Beckett at IMDb Sister Wendy at PBS Interview with Sister Wendy Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wendy Beckett amp oldid 1217481893, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.