Small

Recent trends in contemporary art have meant that we've grown accustomed to large scale pieces, be that huge canvases, enormous sculptures, or giant installations.

However, the miniature has always been an important part of contemporary art. Be it paintings, sculpture, or photography as well as small format drawings, the reduced dimensions of the artwork puts new constraints on the artist, forcing them to develop their techniques and artistic finesse.


Jeff Wall, an American photographer known for his large scale photographic prints on huge illuminated boxes, has said that “the scale of a piece is not about the dimensions of it, but about the internal tensions within the composition".


Believe it or not, miniature pieces have many advantages. Smaller formats allow the artists to show off a different range of talents and techniques, and sometimes even create the impression of a much higher quality piece – such as engravings or prints. Creating a miniature is a sure sign of precision and skill.

They are also more practical to exhibit than the enormous artworks: we've all got a little space on a shelf ready to welcome a miniature sculpture, photo or drawing.


Another very practical aspect of miniatures is the myriad possibilities for display: you could put together a full shelf of statuettes, or even a dedicated framing wall – which is an increasingly popular method for display, and makes for the perfect decorative addition to a living room or bedroom. It's a mixed composition made up of an array of pieces – you guessed it – all on the same wall. The diminutive size of the miniatures also makes it easier to make sure your favourite pieces are displayed in pride of place.

Even artists who are known for their monumental works are slowly getting into miniatures, like Jeff Wall in his exhibition at the Cartier Foundation.


The miniature is making a big name for itself as a growing trend across the contemporary art world; from Gaspard Mitz, who creates tiny versions of the interiors of famous art galleries in his 'Box Stories', to the photography of Samsofy, who recreates scenes from daily life with miniscule Lego 'actors'.  


Last but not least, the small scale of the pieces means that even big names come with small price tags, meaning that miniatures make excellent presents. So, go on, what are you waiting for? Browse our selection of miniature works now…

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Painting, Basalt Caves_02, Zsolt Bukta

Zsolt Bukta

Painting . 21 x 30 x 3 cm Painting . 8.3 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€850

Painting, Timeless tides, Paul B

Paul B

Painting . 50 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

€994

Painting, Sans titre I, Yu Fu

Yu Fu

Painting . 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€800

Painting, Butterfly II, Liva Pakalne

Liva Pakalne

Painting . 50 x 50 x 8 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 3.1 inch

€2,000

Painting, Cityscape #7, Darren Thompson

Darren Thompson

Painting . 30.5 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm Painting . 12 x 16 x 2 inch

€1,076

Painting, Brou, Giuseppe Amadio

Giuseppe Amadio

Painting . 50 x 50 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€1,400

Painting, Be Shrewd, Young Bin Choi

Young Bin Choi

Painting . 45 x 37.5 cm Painting . 17.7 x 14.8 inch

€1,000

Painting, Ohne Titel, Gerd Kanz

Gerd Kanz

Painting . 39 x 25 x 2 cm Painting . 15.4 x 9.8 x 0.8 inch

€1,000

Painting, Goodbye, Dad, Helen Spoon

Helen Spoon

Painting . 42 x 30 x 5 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.8 x 2 inch

€1,085

Painting, Camargue, Georges Girard

Georges Girard

Painting . 22 x 35 x 1 cm Painting . 8.7 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch

€1,007

Painting, Capucines, Maurice Asselin

Maurice Asselin

Painting . 41 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€984

Painting, Fleur de glace, L. Mull

L. Mull

Painting . 38 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 15 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,018

Painting, Lungo il Ticino, Luigi Comolli

Luigi Comolli

Painting . 39.5 x 49.7 x 0.5 cm Painting . 15.6 x 19.6 x 0.2 inch

€995

Painting, Paysage fleuri, S. M.

S. M.

Painting . 26.5 x 41 x 0.5 cm Painting . 10.4 x 16.1 x 0.2 inch

€973

Painting, Barcelona, A. G.

A. G.

Painting . 23.5 x 33 x 0.5 cm Painting . 9.3 x 13 x 0.2 inch

€1,357

Painting, Poule, Dominique Andrier

Dominique Andrier

Painting . 40 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€2,000

Painting, Bleeding Hearts, Tom Furey

Tom Furey

Painting . 27.9 x 35.6 x 1.8 cm Painting . 11 x 14 x 0.7 inch

€1,592

Painting, Last Run, James Gordaneer

James Gordaneer

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 2 inch

€3,229

Painting, Magic, Howard Brotman

Howard Brotman

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 2 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.8 inch

€2,758

Painting, Putzen, Wolfgang Leber

Wolfgang Leber

Painting . 30 x 20 x 0.2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.1 inch

€900

Painting, Splatch !, Cédrick Vannier

Cédrick Vannier

Painting . 30.6 x 40 x 4 cm Painting . 12 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

€1,600

Painting, Heart, Katalina Koneva

Katalina Koneva

Painting . 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€680

Painting, Secret Sorrows, Andra Daans

Andra Daans

Painting . 49.8 x 34.8 x 1.8 cm Painting . 19.6 x 13.7 x 0.7 inch

€1,481

Painting, En Sicile, Antoine Vincent

Antoine Vincent

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€2,600

Fine Art Drawings, Flower Lady, Dean Tavoularis

Dean Tavoularis

Fine Art Drawings . 41 x 29 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.1 x 11.4 x 0.4 inch

€1,000

Painting, Yellow light, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Painting . 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,450

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