All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley
During very sad moments in our lives, we long to retreat from the realities of busy days that overflow with commitments. Patrick Bringley accomplished this unusually by becoming a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where he lived. All the Beauty in the World is his meditative memoir of what he saw, what he learned, and how he healed.
“Security Guard” is a misleading job title because the guards act as a reservoir of information ready for the questions of millions of visitors – thousands each day. Amongst a huge collection of beautiful and significant works of art from five continents, learning of the history is a gentle challenge to the guards, themselves representing the five continents. Beyond passion, no particular qualifications are required to be hired. Word-of-mouth and small ads attract an unending stream of wildly differing applicants. Surrounded by people, yet silent for most of the day, Patrick’s mind and soul subtly expand with the passage of time.
For the readers, who cannot see what museum visitors can, Patrick describes artworks that draw big crowds, helping us to feel the emotions felt by their creators. Historical anecdotes bring us closer to the artists; for example, Michaelangelo hated painting and sculpting, even while bringing forth visions that have fascinated every generation since the Renaissance. Patrick also extols the less-visited pieces, introducing us to artists from far away countries and distant times. When he can, he recommends these to visitors who had come prepared to only seek out acknowledged masterpieces.
Glimpses of his non-museum life assure us that he is recovering from his brother’s early death. His family grows, first with a son and later with a daughter. The same gentleness that makes him respected in his job makes him a loving father. Startled by the outrageous contrast between the calm assurance of his workday and the hectic imperfections of life with babies, Patrick celebrates that he has returned to being a multi-faceted, fulfilled, and more joyous man.
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