简介：WhenSisterWendyBeckettfirstsharedherloveofEuropeanpaintingswithpublictelevisionviewersin1997,theNewYorkTimesobservedthatthe67-year-oldnunfromaBritishmonasterywas"fastonherwaytobecomingthemostunlikelyandfamousartcriticinthehistoryoftelevision."NowSisterWendyiscrossingtheAtlantictoshareherartisticpassiononceagaininanewsix-partseriespremieringoverthreeconsecutiveWednesdays,September5,12,and19from8to10pmonPBS(checklocallistings). InSisterWendy'sAmericanCollection,theengagingartcriticmovesbeyondtheworldofdaVinciandMonettoexplorethewiderrichesofsixofAmerica'sgreatestmuseums:Boston'sMuseumofFineArts,ForthWorth'sKimbellArtMuseum,NewYork'sMetropolitanMuseumofArt,theLosAngelesCountyMuseumofArt,theArtInstituteofChicago,andtheClevelandMuseumofArt.Eachone-hourepisodefocusesononeofthefeaturedmuseums,showcasingitstreasuresfromaroundtheworld. "TheUnitedStates,thelandofthefree,isparticularlyrichinmuseums,"SisterWendysays."Thatisappropriate,becausemuseumsareameanstofreedom." Exudinghersignatureblendofintellect,reverence,andadmirationforgreatworksofart,SisterWendyglidesfromgallerytogallery,illuminatingtheculturalandcreativehistoryofadiverserangeofartisticworks.FromportraitsbyRembrandttoEgyptiansculptures,EarlyAmericanfurnituretoIslamiccalligraphy,SisterWendytakesviewersbeyondthehouseholdnamesoftheartworld,introducingthemtothegreatesttreasuresfromculturesbothfamousandobscure. "Oneofthewonderfulthingsaboutamuseumishowyou'rejoltedintoconfrontingartfromstrangeandwonderfulcivilizations,"SisterWendysays."Andyoulookandlearnandexpandyourhorizons." InSisterWendy'sAmericanCollection,eachworkofartisthelaunchingpointforabriefbutfascinatinghistorylesson:AgoldandturquoiseceremonialknifeintroducesviewerstoPeru'slostChimuEmpire;ancientEgyptianstatuessparkthetaleofHatshepsut,thequeenwhodefiedtraditionandhergendertobecomepharaoh. What'smore,eachworkofartisdescribedintypicalSisterWendystyle.Notingthatadelicateporcelainfigurineismakinganobscenehandgesture,thenunremarks,"Iwon'tsullyyourearsbytellingyouwhatitmeans,buttherearecontemporaryequivalents."AndwhileadmiringanIsseyMiyakedressfromthe1990s,sheconcedes,"Youwon'tbesurprisedtolearnthatIknowabsolutelynothingaboutfashion." Attimes,however,thecontemplativenun--wholeadsalifeofcompletesolitudewhennotsharingherartisticvocationwithtelevisionviewersandreadersofhermanybooks--surpriseswithhercommentaries.Describinga15th-centurypitcherthatdepictsthegreatAristotlebeingplayedforafoolbyayoungmaiden,SisterWendycomments,"IdefyanyfeministnottosmileatPhyllisthedominatrix,tuggingonAristotle'sbeardandpattinghimcondescendinglyontherump!" Evenwhenpresentingwell-knownartistictreasures,SisterWendymanagestoimpartsomenewandinterestingnuggetsofinformation.WhoknewthatEdwardHopperbeganpaintingNighthawksimmediatelyaftertheJapanesebombedPearlHarbor,channelingthenation'scollectiveanxietyintohisdesolatebarscene,orthatGrantWoodbasedhisAmericanGothicfarmcoupleonhissisterandhisdentist? SisterWendyisatreasuretroveofsuchintriguingtidbits,transferringtotheviewerbothhervastknowledgeofartandheraweatthecreativespiritthatinspiredit."Americansaresoluckytohavesomeofthegreatestmuseumsintheworld,"SisterWendysays."Iwouldliketosharewithpeoplemydelightinjustafewofthetreasurespeoplecanfindontheirowndoorsteps."…