She always read the endings of books before the beginnings.

1978

Marcia Resnick

Associated Names
Marcia Resnick

Artist, American, 1950 - 2025

This is a black-and-white photograph of hands holding an open book. The hands press into the paper, holding the book open. The nails of the hand appear painted. The pages of the book reveal a passage from "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens. The right page displays the concluding line and "THE END" is printed at the bottom. The edges of the paper are slightly worn. A handwritten note below the photograph reads: "She always read the endings of books before the beginnings," with the name "Marcia Resnick" on the right edge.
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Artwork overview

More About this Artwork

In this black-and-white photograph, five children sit closely together on a couch, reading different comic books and magazines. The comic books obscure the faces of the five children, and they appear absorbed in their reading. A sixth child who appears to be a young boy sits on the ground in front of the couch next to a coffee table piled high with dirty dishes and more comic books. His face is partially visible; he has light skin and dark hair, and he looks over his shoulder to the right. The children wear a variety of clothing with different patterns, including long-sleeved shirts, dresses, belts, and long pants. The wall behind the couch is light gray, with the edge of a framed photo visible at the top.

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Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Marcia Resnick, New York; (Paul M. Hertzmann, Inc., San Francisco), 2013; NGA purchase, 2014.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2025

  • The '70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, October 6, 2024–April 6, 2025

Bibliography

1978

  • Resnick, Marcia. Re-visions. Toronto, 1978: plate 47.

Inscriptions

signed by artist, along lower right edge of image in graphite: MARCIA RESNICK; along bottom: SHE ALWAYS READ THE ENDINGS OF BOOKS BEFORE THE BEGINNINGS.; along lower left edge: FROM RE-VISIONS; on verso, signed by artist, lower right in graphite: Marcia Resnick; by unknown hand, bottom center in graphite: 6800

Wikidata ID

Q64157723

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