Sister Wendy Beckett passes away at 88

Sister Wendy Beckett, an art historian, and critic, has died. She was 88. The Carmelite Monastery of Quidenham said Beckett died Wednesday afternoon. She was a sister of the Catholic Church who became prominent in the 1990s presenting BBC shows about art history. Her work included a series of well-received documentaries including "Sister Wendy's Odyssey" and "Sister Wendy's Grand Tour."

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.

Close friend Xinran Xue said Beckett's death was "a huge loss for the art world. She was a brilliant art critic." Beckett was born in South Africa and raised in Scotland. She taught in Cape Town, South Africa, and Liverpool in northern England.