Untitled from the series Desire
1990 · Color instant print (Polaroid)
24 × 20 1/16" (61 × 51 cm)
Museum of Modern Art
WATTS INDEXThe canonical database of visual culture
David Levinthal
Artist
WA-00030526
Printmaking
Representation
None documented
0
Institutional Exhibitions
5
Works in Collection
55
Assets Indexed
0
Authority-backed Facts
0
Publications Referenced
50%
Profile Completeness
Cultural Positioning
Influence Graph
No influence edges encoded yet.
Authority Records (3)
Source Registry (1)
- MoMA bulk 2026-05-04Tier 1 · Institutional92%
About
Why this artist matters now
David Levinthal is an American photographer born in 1949 who works primarily with constructed tableaux, toy soldiers, and miniature figures staged under theatrical lighting. His large-format color photographs transform small-scale dioramas into densely detailed, ambiguous narratives that oscillate between intimacy and monumentality. Working since the 1970s, Levinthal's practice engages with questions of representation, memory, and the gap between childhood play and adult interpretation. His methodical approach to composition and color rendering elevates the vernacular and the toy to the register of fine art photography.
Source: Moma Bulk 2026 05 04 · Trust score: 92% · Updated 1mo ago
Graph relationships
Taste overlap and adjacency
Movement
—
Medium
Printmaking
Related Artists
6 in graph
Institutional
Museum Collections
Canonical record
Artworks (5)
Artwork sources (3)
5 published of 54 catalogued · 50 with image
- MoMA5 publishedof 10 catalogued8 img
- + 2 more sources · 44 catalogued, not yet published
Relationships
5Institutional
Representation & Collections
In collection
Art Institute of Chicago
In collection
Museum of Modern Art
New York, US
In collection
Whitney Museum of American Art
Market
Auction sale history
Houses that have sold works by this artist at auction
Market
Auction History
| Work | Auction House | Date | Estimate | Hammer Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artsy | Mar 2026 | $700 – $900 | Unsold | |
| Rago | Dec 2025 | $5,000 – $7,000 | Unsold |
Record
Exhibitions and timeline
No exhibitions or timeline entries yet