Patrick

Bringley

Bestselling Author

Memoirist

Travels from: New York NY

“As rich in moving insights as the Met is in treasures, All the Beauty in the World reminds us of the importance of learning not “about art, but from it.” This is art appreciation at a profound level.” – NPR

Patrick Bringley is the author of All the Beauty in the World, a memoir about his decade working as a guard in the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book has been praised by outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, and Associated Press, and has been named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, the Financial Times, Audible, and the Sunday Times (London), which selected it as the outstanding art book of 2023; it also received the Marfield Prize and was a finalist for the Gotham Book Prize. Patrick will perform All the Beauty in the World as a one-man play at the Charleston Literary Festival this November, directed by Dominic Dromgoole, formerly the artistic director of the Globe Theatre in London. He leads public and private tours of the Met and lectures at museums and other venues around the country. Past and upcoming appearances include at the Met, National Gallery of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Saint Louis Art Museum, Dallas Museum of Art, Chrysler Museum, University of Virginia, and Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature in Dubai. All the Beauty in the World is being published in translated editions around the world and is a national bestseller in South Korea. Patrick lives with his wife and children in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Patrick's Featured Titles

All The Beauty In The World

Simon & Schuster |

February 14, 2023

Nonfiction

A fascinating, revelatory portrait of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its treasures by a former New Yorker staffer who spent a decade as a museum guard.

Millions of people climb the grand marble staircase to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art every year. But only a select few have unrestricted access to every nook and cranny. They’re the guards who roam unobtrusively in dark blue suits, keeping a watchful eye on the two million square foot treasure house. Caught up in his glamorous fledgling career at The New Yorker, Patrick Bringley never thought he’d be one of them. Then his older brother was diagnosed with fatal cancer and he found himself needing to escape the mundane clamor of daily life. So he quit The New Yorker and sought solace in the most beautiful place he knew.

To his surprise and the reader’s delight, this temporary refuge becomes Bringley’s home away from home for a decade. We follow him as he guards delicate treasures from Egypt to Rome, strolls the labyrinths beneath the galleries, wears out nine pairs of company shoes, and marvels at the beautiful works in his care. Bringley enters the museum as a ghost, silent and almost invisible, but soon finds his voice and his tribe: the artworks and their creators and the lively subculture of museum guards—a gorgeous mosaic of artists, musicians, blue-collar stalwarts, immigrants, cutups, and dreamers. As his bonds with his colleagues and the art grow, he comes to understand how fortunate he is to be walled off in this little world, and how much it resembles the best aspects of the larger world to which he gradually, gratefully returns.

In the tradition of classic workplace memoirs like Lab Girl and Working Stiff, All The Beauty in the World is a surprising, inspiring portrait of a great museum, its hidden treasures, and the people who make it tick, by one of its most intimate observers.

Grief & Loss, Memoir & Personal Journeys, Nonfiction

Book Talk: All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me

Sacred Art at the Met: From the Pharaohs to the Old Masters.

In this illustrated lecture, Patrick travels over continents and across millennia, exploring sacred masterpieces that seem to transcend our ordinary, day-to-day world.

What the Old Masters Teach: Lessons about Life and Death in Art

Looking closely at masterpiece paintings, Patrick explores vital and resonant themes taken up time and again by great artists.

A Guard’s Guide of the Met: An Intimate, Illustrated Tour

With the aid of art slides and photographs, Patrick is your guide through the Met, shedding new light on familiar masterpieces and revealing secrets of its operation hidden in plain sight.

“Patrick Bringley was a wonderful guest speaker! He was well prepared and took many questions from our audience members. Patrick’s talk was informative and was infused with humor and heartfelt memories of his time at the Met. His natural warmth, easy manner, and graciousness made him approachable by everyone in attendance. His visit to the Kalamazoo Art League was the highlight of our season.” — Kalamazoo Art League, 2024

“It was a pleasure meeting Patrick and hearing his lecture. He is a gifted speaker and his story compelling. As always we receive comments after our talks and Patrick was praised by everyone. The comment I felt was most telling I have included below:
‘He gave the most engaging talk, a different kind of message than our more typical academic talks (which are wonderful- our meat and potatoes). He spoke not just to our minds, but to our hearts and souls.” — The Norfolk Society of Arts, 2024

“Patrick was a speaker that both our patrons and our staff enjoyed equally. The City of Wichita really showed up to support him in an exciting manner. He is an excellent speaker with a great presentation. We look forward to hosting him again.” — Wichita Art Museum, 2024

“He was thoroughly engaging and insightful. I liked his encouragement to bring our most earnest, serious and unafraid selves to the museum experience and to appreciate that art was made by humans, facing many of the same issues we face in our own time. I also appreciated his kind words about Wichita Art Museum and our wonderful staff.” — Wichita Art Museum Attendee, 2024

“Patrick’s presentation (like his book)–was heartfelt, inspiring, and both deeply personal and deeply universal. As Patrick knows, it made me cry! He argued so beautifully for the importance of art in the human experience, how it allows us to process our own experiences and gain empathy and insight into the lives of others, across the globe and across time. Primarily, it left me—and other Wichita Art Museum staff—feeling empowered and motivated about our work, and I’m thrilled community members (including many patrons and volunteers) also heard the rallying cry for the importance of art and those institutions that care for it. Thank you, Patrick!” — Wichita Art Museum Curator, Tera Lee Hedrick, 2024

“It was such an honor to have Patrick come to the Wichita Art Museum! Our journey started with one of our guards reaching out to Patrick after reading his book. Patrick is very approachable and agreed to come to WAM. Knowing that he was coming was such a morale builder for our security team. It’s not every day that security is able to be in the spotlight when we are normally in the background. Before Patrick arrived, numerous guards picked up his book and read it, including myself. We decided that security would take the lead in the planning and escorting of Patrick once he arrived. Once here in Wichita, he did not disappoint. Patrick’s presentation was powerful, personal, and resonated with everyone in the audience. He was such a joy to be around, and we would love to have him back someday!” — Wichita Art Museum Director of Security & Facilities, Brad Hoch, 2024

“Patrick is as engaging as a speaker as his words are in print!” — University of Virginia, 2024

“It was a true please to have you at the museum. Because you are so friendly and easy to work with, program logistics were stress free. Participants felt that you were an extremely articulate and generous speaker and guest. They appreciated that your presentation (and book) were both personal and about the big picture. As it was an audience of volunteer guides and front line staff, the way you talked about the power of working in an art museum and the act of looking at and responding to art really resonated. They felt you were receptive and engaged and gave thoughtful answers to audience questions. It was a wonderful experience from start to finish and I am so grateful.” — Peabody Essex Museum, 2023

“I thought Patrick was extremely accessible and open to questions. He was honest and direct. His insights and tips encouraged museum goers to take time and allow an emotional reaction to occur. It was a delight to hear someone speak about how art helped him deal with suffering and grief; we all share the need to find such aids. His talk encouraged me to seek an emotional rather than a cerebral response. I would recommend him highly as a speaker.” — Peabody Essex Museum, 2023

“I thought Patrick was a wonderful speaker, very accessible and engaging as well as being very thoughtful and interesting. I think the volunteer guides, security staff and visitor engagement staff found him very relatable.” — Peabody Essex Museum, 2023

“Through a series of engaging slides, colorful anecdotes, and lively audience engagement, Patrick walked us through his journey, connecting with our volunteers along the way, and highlighting the common bond we share as museum ambassadors. Patrick was gracious with his time and energy, and gave all of our volunteers an opportunity to ask questions and have their books signed. Through art, humanity, compassion, and reflection, Patrick has crafted a universal voice that resonates far beyond the experiences of a museum guard. Speaking to our community of MFA volunteers, Patrick’s presentation reminded us – and reassured us –that we do not have to look very far to discover meaningfulness and enlightenment within the walls of the institution that we deeply love and care about. We hope to welcome Patrick back to the MFA for future programs in the near future!” — Museum of Fine Arts Boston, 2023

“Our virtual program with Patrick Bringley was a crowd pleaser! We had over 200 patrons register to listen to his much-anticipated book talk. His personal insight and visually rich presentation were a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at his experience working at The Met. Following the program, the library has continued to receive positive feedback from viewers, “Thank you, Patrick, for this insightful perspective about art, life and our world. Profound thoughts.” Another viewer commented that “…[his] talk captured the mystery & beauty & quiet. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a guard!” Our library was delighted to host Patrick and look forward to forthcoming endeavors by this author.” — Alison Walton, Librarian – Hudson Library & Historical Society

“Patrick Bringley’s virtual presentation on his recent book, All the Beauty in the World, was a delight. Our program for librarians was very highly rated in our post-event survey, with comments such as “fascinating,” ‘excellent,” and “outstanding.” Both a personal narrative and a behind the scenes glimpse at a world famous institution, All the Beauty in the World is an engaging book which appeals to a broad audience of readers.” — Sally Stieglitz, Communications and Outreach Coordinator – Long Island Library Resources Council

“Exquisite… A beautiful tale about beauty. It is also a tale about grief, balancing solitude and comradeship, and finding joy in both the exalted and the mundane.” — The Washington Post Book World

“All the Beauty in the World is an empathic chronicle of one museum, the works collected there and the people who keep it running — all recounted by an especially patient observer.” — The New York Times Book Review

“Consoling and beautiful” — The Guardian

“Hauntingly beautiful… A work of art as luminous as the old master paintings that comforted him in his grief.” — The Associated Press

“This absorbing memoir is also a beautifully written manual on how to appreciate art, and life. It’s a must-read for art lovers” – Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring

“Patrick Bringley offers an intimate perspective on one of the world’s greatest institutions. But All the Beauty in the World is about much more: the strange human impulse to make art, the mystery of experience art, and what role art can play in our lives. What a gift.” – Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind

“This book makes me yearn to have Patrick Bringley at my side in every museum I will visit for the rest of my life. Having a copy of All the Beauty in the World in my purse will be the next best thing. – Hope Jahren, author of Lab Girl and The Story of More

“It was amazing to get an inside scoop on what it is like working in the museum and how you being around these amazing works for so long affects the way you view the art! Patrick also was very knowledgable about the history of the museum and taught a life-long New Yorker many new things!” – Misty M. – Museum Patron

“Illuminating and transformative experiences shared by a guard from one of the world’s greatest museums.” – Kerry James Marshall, artist, Mastry retrospective at the Met

“Patrick’s insightful tour of the Met provided a uniquely delightful experience. He has a comprehensive knowledge of the museum’s collections, and has a wealth of fun anecdotes about them. But a lot of tour guides can do that. What really distinguishes this tour is Patrick’s career as a guard. The in depth knowledge of how the museum works, and what it’s like to truly live with the art for years on end, made this tour a superb use of an afternoon. Highest possible recommendation.” – Robert M. – Museum Patron

“An astounding book about an astounding place. All the Beauty in the World is at once a keenly intelligent examination of the power of art and a profoundly empathetic exploration of the workaday culture that makes art visible to all.” – Alex Ross, New Yorker staff writer and author of The Rest is Noise

“Patrick was so knowledgeable – not just about the inner workings of the Met, but the art he guarded. He was very funny & insightful and definitely got me thinking about the pieces we viewed in a new way. Can’t wait to read his book!” – Ciara C. – Museum Patron

An Insider’s Tour of the Met Museum

Patrick’s Website

Honors, Awards & Recognition

New York Times Bestseller
Marfield Prize Winner
Finalist for the Gotham Book Prize
Adapted All the Beauty in the World into a one-man play
Named the Outstanding Art Book of the Year by the Times of London
Named one of New York Public Library’s 10 Best Nonfiction books of the year
One of the best books of the year from NPR, The Financial Times and the New York Post
One of the best 18 audiobooks for members and biographies of 2023 by Audible
Earphones Award Winner from Audiofile for Patrick Bringley’s narration of All the Beauty in the World. Earphones Awards are for “truly exceptional titles that excel in narrative voice and style, characterizations, suitability to audio, and enhancement of the text.”