Wendy Beckett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wendy Beckett
SNDdeN OCarm
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Portrait, 2022
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| Born |
Wendy Mary Beckett
25 February 1930 |
| Died | 26 December 2018 (aged 88) Quidenham, Norfolk, England
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| Alma mater | St Anne's College, Oxford |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Several BBC art history documentaries |
Wendy Mary Beckett (born February 25, 1930 – died December 26, 2018), known to many as Sister Wendy, was a British religious sister and art historian. She became famous around the world in the 1990s. This happened when she hosted a series of BBC television shows about the history of art. Her shows, like Sister Wendy's Odyssey and Sister Wendy's Grand Tour, were very popular. They often had a quarter of all British TV viewers watching. In 1997, she also appeared on US public television. The New York Times newspaper called her "a sometime hermit who is fast on her way to becoming the most unlikely and famous art critic in the history of television."
Contents
About Sister Wendy
Early Life and Education
Wendy Beckett was born in the Union of South Africa. She later grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, where her father was studying to be a doctor. In 1946, she joined the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. This is a Roman Catholic group of religious sisters who focus on education.
She moved to England to complete her novitiate, which is a training period for new religious sisters. After this, she studied at St Anne's College, Oxford. There, she earned a top degree in English Literature.
After her studies, she lived in a convent. This was a place where religious sisters lived and followed strict rules, including a code of silence. In 1954, she earned a teaching diploma from the Notre Dame College of Education. Then, she went back to South Africa. She taught English and Latin at Notre Dame Convent, a girls' school in Constantia, Cape Town. Later, she moved to Johannesburg. There, she became the leader of the local convent and also taught at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Becoming a Hermit
In 1970, Sister Wendy had health problems. These issues made her stop teaching. She received special permission from the Catholic Church to leave her teaching group. She then became a consecrated virgin and a hermit. A hermit is someone who lives alone, away from others, often for religious reasons.
She started living in a small trailer on the grounds of a Carmelite monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk, England. Later, her trailer was replaced by a mobile home. She lived a life of quiet prayer and solitude. She spent about two hours each day working to earn money.
Her Love for Art
Sister Wendy spent many years translating old Medieval Latin writings. But in 1980, she decided to focus on art. Her first book, Contemporary Women Artists, came out in 1988. She wrote other books too, like Sister Wendy Contemplates Saint Paul in Art in 2008. In 2009, she published Encounters with God: In Quest of the Ancient Icons of Mary. This book followed her journey to see the oldest icons of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She continued writing about icons in The Iconic Jesus (2011). Her book The Christ Journey (2011) shared her thoughts on Greg Tricker's artwork.
Sister Wendy needed regular medical care. The famous TV chef Delia Smith, who was a friend, often drove her to the hospital. Delia also drove her around the country to meet artists when Sister Wendy was writing her book about women artists.
Sister Wendy's journey to television started by chance. A film crew heard her talking about art at an exhibit. They asked to film her. This led to a BBC producer noticing her. In 1992, her first show, Sister Wendy’s Odyssey, was broadcast.
She was known for describing the human body in paintings very openly. Some viewers were surprised by this because of her religious background. However, she believed it was important to describe how the human body was shown in art. She said, "God did not make a mistake when He created the human body, so I am not making a mistake by describing it."
Television Shows and Media
Sister Wendy narrated many popular documentaries. These shows helped millions of people learn about art history.
Documentaries Narrated by Sister Wendy
- Sister Wendy's Odyssey (1992)
- Sister Wendy's Grand Tour (1994)
- 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 also narrated an audio guide for visitors to the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican:
- Sister Wendy's Sistine Chapel Artineraries Tour (2006)
Other Appearances
Sister Wendy also appeared in other TV and radio programs:
- Sister Wendy in Conversation with Bill Moyers (1997)
- She appeared three times on the show Charlie Rose (1997, 2000).
- The Art of Dying (2009) where she discussed how art can help us think about death.
- Churches: How to Read Them (2010) where she talked about medieval devotion to the Virgin Mary.
- Treasures of Heaven (2011) where she discussed relics and reliquaries.
- Sister Wendy and the Art of the Gospel (2012)
Sister Wendy had a slight speech difference called rhotacism. This affected how she said the letter "R".
Other Media Projects
A musical called Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical was created about her life. It was performed in London in 2007 and 2008.
In December 2012, Sister Wendy was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs. On this show, guests choose music, a book, and a luxury item they would take if stranded on a desert island. Her favorite song was "Serenade" by Franz Schubert. Her chosen book was a large book of logic puzzles. Her luxury item was a "refrigerated tabernacle."
In 1993, Sister Wendy recorded an audio version of Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. This recording was released as a CD in 2021.
Death
Sister Wendy Beckett passed away on December 26, 2018. She was 88 years old. She died at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk, where she had lived as a hermit.
See also
In Spanish: Wendy Beckett para niños
