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Wendy Mary Beckett (25 February 1930 – 26 December 2018), better known as Sister Wendy, was a British
religious sister
A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pra ...
and
art historian who became known internationally during the 1990s when she presented a series of
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
television documentaries on the
history of art
The history of art focuses on objects made by humans for any number of spiritual, narrative, philosophical, symbolic, conceptual, documentary, decorative, and even functional and other purposes, but with a primary emphasis on its aesthetic visu ...
.
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.
In 1997 she made her debut on US public television, with ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' 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."
Biography
Early life
Beckett was born in the
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Tran ...
, but was later raised in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
where her father was studying medicine. In 1946, she entered the
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (Congregationis Sororum a Domina Nostra Namurcensi) are a Catholic institute of religious sisters, founded to provide education to the poor.
The institute was founded in Amiens, France, in 1804, but the oppo ...
, a Roman Catholic congregation of
religious sister
A religious sister (abbreviated ''Sr.'' or Sist.) in the Catholic Church is a woman who has taken public vows in a religious institute dedicated to apostolic works, as distinguished from a nun who lives a cloistered monastic life dedicated to pra ...
s 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
in English Literature.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
was president of her final examinations board and asked her to stay on at the university, an invitation which she declined.
Outside her academic work, she lived in a
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglic ...
which maintained the strict code of silence typical in convents prior to the changes following the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...
(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
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
, where she taught English and Latin.
[ Later she moved to ]Johannesburg
Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Dem ...
where she was appointed the superior of the local convent, while she also lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), is a multi-campus South African public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits ( or ). The university ...
.[
]
Return to England
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
In the Catholic Church, a consecrated virgin is a woman who has been consecrated by the church to a life of perpetual virginity as a bride of Christ. Consecrated virgins are consecrated by the diocesan bishop according to the approved liturgical ...
and hermit
A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions.
Description
In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...
. She began living in a caravan on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery
Carmelite Monastery (Sisters of Mercy Convent) is a historic monastery at 400 E. Carpenter Street in Stanton, Texas.
It was built in 1882 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
The property was also designated a Recorded ...
at Quidenham, Norfolk, and her caravan was later replaced by a mobile home.
Interest in art
Beckett spent many years translating Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...
scripts before deciding, in 1980, to pursue art. Her first book, ''Contemporary Women Artists,'' was published in 1988.Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
. 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 icon
An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...
s of Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
which had survived the Byzantine Iconoclasm
The Byzantine Iconoclasm ( gr, Εικονομαχία, Eikonomachía, lit=image struggle', 'war on icons) were two periods in the history of the Byzantine Empire when the use of religious images or icons was opposed by religious and imperial a ...
. 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
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
, accompanied by Beckett's reflections. Her next book, published in 2011, ''The Christ Journey'', consists of her commentaries on the artwork of Greg Tricker.Delia Smith
Delia Ann Smith (born 18 June 1941) is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style. One of the best known celebrity chefs in British popular culture, Smith has influenced viewers t ...
, 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.
Television and media work
Beckett narrates the following documentaries:
* ''Sister Wendy's Odyssey'' (1992)[
* ''Sister Wendy's Pains of Glass'' (1995)
* ''Sister Wendy's Story of Painting'' (1996)][
* ''Saints with Sister Wendy'' (1997)
* ''Sister Wendy's American Collection'' (2001)
* ''Sister Wendy at the Norton Simon Museum'' (2002)
In 2006 she narrated an audio commentary for tourists to the ]Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its nam ...
at the Vatican:
* ''Sister Wendy's Sistine Chapel'' Artineraries Tour (2006)
Additionally, she features in the following:
* ''Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers
Bill Moyers (born Billy Don Moyers, June 5, 1934) is an American journalist and political commentator. Under the Johnson administration he served from 1965 to 1967 as the eleventh White House Press Secretary. He was a director of the Counci ...
'' (1997)
* Three appearances on '' Charlie Rose'' (3 October 1997; 18 November 1997; 19 September 2000) are available on DVD.
* ''The Art of Dying'' (2009) (Dan Cruickshank
Daniel Gordon Raffan Cruickshank (born 26 August 1949) is a British art historian and BBC television presenter, with a special interest in the history of architecture.
Professional career
Cruickshank holds a BA in Art, Design and Architecture ...
interviews Sister Wendy on the helpfulness of art in the face of death)Andrew Graham-Dixon
Andrew Michael Graham-Dixon (born 26 December 1960) is a British art historian and broadcaster.
Life and career
Early life and education
Andrew Graham-Dixon is a son of the barrister Anthony Philip Graham-Dixon (1929–2012), Q.C., and ...
talks to Sister Wendy about relics and reliquaries)
Other media
A musical, '' Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical'', written by Marcus Reeves
Marcus Reeves (born 3 February 1979, Clapham, London) is a London-based writer and performer.
Biography
Marcus Reeves is best known as the creator of '' Postcards from God – The Sister Wendy Musical''.
In an interview by Paul Burston in '' T ...
and Beccy SmithJermyn Street Theatre
Jermyn Street Theatre is a performance venue situated on Jermyn Street, in London's West End. It is an off-west end studio theatre.
History
Jermyn Street Theatre opened in August 1994. It was formerly the changing rooms for staff at a Spaghetti ...
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
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's ''Desert Island Discs
''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.
Each week a guest, called a "castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight recordings (usua ...
''. Her favourite choice was " Serenade" (D 957 No. 4) by Franz Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...
, her chosen book was "an enormous book of logical puzzles", and her luxury item was a "refrigerated tabernacle".Revelations of Divine Love
''Revelations of Divine Love'' is a medieval book of Christian mystical devotions. It was written between the 14th and 15th centuries by Julian of Norwich, about whom almost nothing is known. It is the earliest surviving example of a book in ...
'' 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''.
Death
Beckett died on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. She was 88.
Publications
Source:
* ''The Christ Journey – the art of Greg Tricker'' (2011)
* ''Sister Wendy Contemplates the Iconic Jesus'' (2011)
* ''Encounters With God: In Quest of Ancient Icons of Mary'' (2009)
* ''Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art'' (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'' (2007)
* ''Sister Wendy's Meditations on the Mysteries of Our Faith'' (2007)
* ''Speaking to the Heart: 100 Favourite Poems'' (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 (2006)
* ''Joy Lasts: On the Spiritual in Art'' (2006)
* ''Sister Wendy's Impressionist Masterpieces'' (2001)
* ''Sister Wendy's American Masterpieces''[ (2001)
* ''Sister Wendy's American Collection'' (2000)
* ''In the Midst of Chaos, Peace'' (with Mary J. Dorcy and Dan Paulos) (2000)
* ''Sister Wendy's Book of Muses'' (with Justin Pumfrey) (2000)
* ''Sister Wendy's 1,000 Masterpieces'' (with Patricia Wright) (1999)
* ''My Favourite Things: 75 Works of Art from Around the World'' (1999)
* ''Sister Wendy's Nativity'' (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'' (1998)
* ''Sister Wendy's Book of Meditations'' (1998)
* ''Sister Wendy's Book of Saints'' (1998)
* ''The Mystery of Love: Saints in Art Through the Ages'' (1998)
* ''Sister Wendy's Story of Christmas: Adventures in Art'' (1997)
* ''Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers: The Complete Conversation'' (edited by Karen Johnson) (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'' (1997)
* ''Sister Wendy's Grand Tour: Discovering Europe's Great Art'' (1996)
* ''Pains of Glass: The Story of the Passion from King's College Chapel, Cambridge'' (with George Pattison) (1996)
* ''Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Joy'' (1995)
* ''Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Love'' (1995)
* ''Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Peace'' (1995)
* ''Sister Wendy's Meditations: Meditations on Silence'' (1995)
* ''A Child's Book of Prayer in Art'' (1995)
* ''The Story of Painting''][ (1998)
]
References
External links
Wendy Beckett
at the British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
*
Sister Wendy
at PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
Interview with Sister Wendy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beckett, Wendy
1930 births
2018 deaths
Alumni of St Anne's College, Oxford
British art historians
South African emigrants to the United Kingdom
British television presenters
Consecrated virgins
Former Roman Catholic religious sisters and nuns
Writers from Edinburgh
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
20th-century translators
Latin–English translators
20th-century British women writers
20th-century British writers
People with speech impediment
20th-century British Roman Catholic nuns
English hermits
Nuns and art
South African writers
Women art historians
British women historians
British women television presenters
People from Quidenham
21st-century British Roman Catholic nuns