The perfect Lent book for art lovers of all ages

'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.

The Bible contains some of the greatest stories and teachings of all time. It is also the inspiration for some of the greatest pictures ever painted. Sister Wendy's Bible Treasury captures some of the Bible's most dramatic scenes and memorable characters, as depicted by artists such as Botticelli, Caravaggio, Degas, Duccio, Durer, El Greco, Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens Rublev, Titian and Van Gogh. From the majesty of Genesis to the mystery of Revelation, Sister Wendy invites you to share her delight in the way these painters have interpreted and depicted the Bible over two thousand years. This beautifully presented volume includes 55 illustrations.

Brimming with Sister Wendy Beckett’s irrepressible wisdom and enthusiasm, The Art of Holy Week and Easter is a beautiful Lent book for 2021 exploring the spiritual riches of some of the world’s greatest paintings of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus.

Illustrated in stunning full colour with thirty famous and lesser-known Western masterpieces and presented in a small, easily portable format, this little book is ideal Lent reading for all art lovers.

The Art of Holy Week and Easter offers a chance to hear again the voice of Sister Wendy as she gently leads you into a deeper appreciation of all that these paintings convey to the discerning eye. You’ll gain a fuller and more spiritual understanding of Christian art, and see Holy Week and Easter as never before.

Sister Wendy leads us on a 'pilgrimage of desire' to view the earliest surviving Icons of Mary. 'These early images of Mary seem to me to have the power to shock us out of our complacency, to make us look anew at what the birth of Jesus meant, and means...' In this compelling story of discovery and spiritual adventure, Sister Wendy Beckett, a contemplative nun and beloved art commentator, travels from England, to Rome, to Ukraine, and finally to a remote monastery in Sinai, to view the earliest Icons of Mary.These are among the few Icons that survived the wholesale destruction of Icons in the early eighth century. In contrast with the familiar and magnificent Icons of later history, these early Icons have a haunting simplicity and unfamiliar spiritual power. 'They are drawing us out of our worldly reality into their world, the true world, summoning us to leave behind all that is earthly and to breathe an air more pure than we can understand. Icons are for prayer. They are painted in prayer and their intention is to take us into a state of prayer'. They come to us from a time closer to that of Christ, when faith was still alive with wonder, and possibilities were infinite.In the course of her pilgrimage, Sister Wendy also reviews the history of Christian art, the meaning and function of Icons, and shares her thoughts on the relation between beauty, prayer, and the search for God. In her quest for these ancient Icons, she feels that she has encountered something greater than an image: 'I have called it an encounter with God, because that is truly what it was for me, and what I hope it will be for you, too'."Encounters with God" is beautifully presented with 65 full colour illustrations throughout.

The twelfth-century abbot and contemplative known to history as "The Mellifluous Teacher' wrote sermons for the entire Christmas liturgical cycle-from the first Sunday of Advent (four weeks before Christmas) to the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary/Presentation of Christ in the Temple (2 February). As he reflects on the wonder of the Incarnation, he reminds Christians still today that Christmas celebrates the awesome condescension of God-with-us, not a commercial carnival.