DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings

Sister Wendy Beckett author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:SPCK Publishing

Published:19th Sep '19

Should be back in stock very soon

Sister Wendy's 100 Best-loved Paintings cover

The nation's favourite art historian invites you to share her appreciation of 100 of her all-time favourite paintings.

'Sister Wendy’s deep and insightful commentaries are utterly unique. You will want this splendid book for yourself but also to give to others.' Delia Smith Hailed by The New York Times in 1997 as 'the most unlikely and famous art critic in the history of television', Sister Wendy Beckett went on to present numerous TV documentaries and published over thirty popular books on art history and appreciation. Shortly before she died in December 2018, and nearly thirty years on from her first book, Sister Wendy was working with SPCK on an anthology of her all-time favourite paintings. The result is this enthralling collection, which will delight her many fans all over the world while also inspiring a new generation of art lovers as they develop their understanding of the depths and subtleties of some of the world's greatest works of art.

‘As though writing personally to each reader, Sister Wendy narrates, explains, and speculates on great artistic creations, expressing how each in its own voice reminds us of what it is to be human. Her commentaries are informed by a profound study of art history, a discerning eye, and her compassionate understanding of the human spirit.’ * Hilliard T. Goldfarb, Senior Curator, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal *
‘I often think of Sister Wendy when I give a tour or speak to the public. I hope that her legacy of joy and of pushing past expectations to share one’s knowledge will not leave us. It certainly won’t leave me.' * Carmen Hermo, Associate Curator, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum, New York City *
'A beautifully produced and intriguing book, and a fitting tribute to the unique Sister Wendy. To the timeless delight of her commentaries is added the thrill of wondering who is in, for which paintings, and who is out of her top 100. Prepare yourself to be surprised.' * Peter Stanford, author, journalist and broadcaster *
'The beauty and splendour of art has been with us throughout the ages, but Sister Wendy’s deep and insightful commentaries are utterly unique. You will want this splendid book for yourself but also to give to others.' * Delia Smith, writer and broadcaster *
As always, Sister Wendy’s commentary is engaging and enjoyable. She had a unique gift for humanizing art and making it accessible to everyone [...] a delightful book and a perfect swan song for this much-loved icon. * Daily Art Magazine *

ISBN: 9780281083305

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 1340g

232 pages