London • Sister Wendy Beckett, an art historian and critic who rose to prominence on TV late in life, has died. She was 88.
She was a sister of the Catholic Church who became prominent in the 1990s presenting BBC shows about art history.
The BBC said it commissioned Beckett in 1991 to host a TV documentary on the National Gallery in London. She stood in front of the paintings dressed in a black nun's habit and discussed the paintings without a script or teleprompter.
"Sister Wendy had a unique presentation style, a deep knowledge of and passion for the arts," BBC director of arts Jonty Claypole said.