Sister Wendy's Grand Tour: Discovering Europe's Great Art

by Wendy Beckett

Following the popularity of Sister Wendy's Odyssey, a highly acclaimed PBS television series and book, Sister Wendy Beckett's love of art has now taken her further afield on a Grand Tour of ten of continental Europe's cities of art.
Like the eighteenth-century travelers who embarked on the Grand Tour before her, Sister Wendy delighted in the opportunity to see in reality great works of art she had previously seen only in books. Her journey encompassed masterpieces by Velazquez and Goya in Madrid, Bruegel and Titian in Vienna and Kandinsky in St. Petersburg, among many others, but her aim was always to choose art she could share with people at home.
Sister Wendy finds huge pleasure in the "total visual experience of the real world" afforded by Cezanne's The Bathers in Paris. In Amsterdam she captures the essence of van Gogh's personal tragedy in her interpretation of Artist's Bedroom, and in Antwerp she finds extraordinary grace in a simple carving by an unknown fifteen-century sculptor. Florence, Venice and Rome, milestones of any Grand Tour, offer further the joyous work of Botticelli; a rarely seen Giorgione, The Tempest; and Michelangelo's awesome Pieta, a work expressing immense anguish and love.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Christianity, Religion, History

166 pages, Hardcover

First published March 3, 1994

About the author

Sister Wendy Beckett was a South African-born British art expert, Roman Catholic nun, and contemplative hermit who became an unlikely celebrity during the 1990s, presenting a series of acclaimed art history documentaries for the BBC.

Reviews

[Ray LaManna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In honor of Sister Wendy Beckett who dies several weeks ago, I've been reading several of her art appreciation books which I've owned for a while. In this book, she took the "Grand Tour" of European museums. Her comments on selected works of art are generally very incisive and make you think of the meaning of many of these great works. I've been fortunate to many of these work in person at most of these museums and that has brought back some great memories for me. One criticism though... no Picassos??

[Mary Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book and, as always for Sister Wendy, superbly written.
I only wish she had not written with such strong opinions about the merit of art and artists. Of course, each person has their own preferences, but it is important to remember that these preferences not be shared as fact, but as personal thoughts.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed this read and really did learn a great deal from reading it.
4 out of 5 stars.

[Galen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Sister Wendy. Such passion, honesty, humour, in looking at art.

[Lennart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hab mir vielleicht etwas zu viel bin diesem Buch oder Bildband versprochen. Hatte mit Kunst vorher nix am Hut, außer dass ich gerne mal im Museum war und Gemälde mit auch gerne angeguckt habe. Habe mich aber immer gefragt, warum bestimmte Werke so über anderen stehen in der Bewertung und Bekanntheit. So ganz konnte mir Wendy Beckett das nicht beantworten, aber das war auch nicht ihre Mission.
Was ich vor allem gelernt habe ist, dass man Kontext braucht, um Bilder richtig zu verstehen. Im Nachhinein natürlich offensichtlich, aber für mich eben eine gewonnene Erkenntnis. Es gibt immer Bilder, die einen mehr oder weniger ansprechen, ohne dass man etwas über sie weiß. Aber vor allem der Hintergrund des Künstlers oder der Abbildung gibt dieser Wirkung noch sehr viel mehr Gewicht.
Ich hab mir die Bilder gerne angeguckt und hätte sie auch gerne in Originalgrösse gesehen. Schön geschrieben, gute Bildauswahl, aber so richtig umgehauen hat mich das Buch jetzt nicht.
Bewertung wären eigentlich 3,5 Sterne.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had this book for a couple of decades or more. I bought it before I went on a trip to Europe so that I would have an idea of what to expect when viewing and contemplating the art in the various museums that we planned to rush through.

I gained an appreciation on how to look at art through both who the artists were, where they sit in history but more importantly, as I feel this author focused on, the humanity that was trying to be portrayed.

In most of these cases, regardless of the high mindedness, there is still an attempt to capture something of the subject and the humanity of the subject. This is always a good first step to 'getting' art.

It was fun to go back and take a look at some of the art I had seen on my trip and look again with Sister Wendy and her insights. Art appreciation doesn't always have to be purely intellectual or pretentious. It can be small and human.

[evierose]

Found this at a used book shop. I enjoyed reading Sister Wendy's frank writing and articulate interpretations. I discovered several new artworks, revisited old ones, and learned about different ways of looking at certain works via Sister Wendy's perspective. For fans of art history, it is worth checking out.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not very deep, this book is entertaining enough to be enjoyable. There are probably many books on "great European art" that are just as good, if not better. But Sister Wendy's takes on the art and artists can be amusing.

[K Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun to read her comments on the various paintings she saw. I bought the companion DVD...can't wait to go back through the book and listen to her.

[Ostap Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long time ago while flipping through channels on the TV, I'd find myself stopping when I came to "Sister Wendy's Odyssey" on PBS. It was a very unique show - a nun critiquing art - and I was always a little surprised at how enjoyable it was. The book takes off directly from that, and I like its format - full page reproductions of selected paintings on the right, and Sister Wendy's interpretation and comments on the left. She is clearly a fan of art, and does not sermonize in her analysis.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I forgot I even have this. Someone gave it to me for Christmas several years ago. I like sister Wendy,. Booksters can probably relate to a person living in a trailer with thousands of books.

[pjr8888 · Rating 5 out of 5]

a grand tourof EUROPEAN art with thoughtful reflections on the techniques, style, and meanigs of the works and their creators.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I used to watch her TV shiow many years ago on PBS.
She highlights a work of art and tells the history behind it . A wonderful book , one to dip into time and time again.