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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Political Demagogy III
José Luis Cuevas
Fine Art Drawings - 27.9 x 35.6 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 14 inch
$4,500
Untitled (44)
Mansour El Habre
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$1,900
The paranoid likes to make people paranoid
Gérald Panighi
Fine Art Drawings - 27.5 x 27.5 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.8 x 10.8 x 0.1 inch
$925
Babolex Snoop Dogg
Vincent Faudemer
Sculpture - 30 x 20 x 15 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 7.9 x 5.9 inch
$2,196
Sans titre
Menachem Gueffen
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11 x 0.4 inch
$670
The Ladder of Jacob
Edward Ben Avram
Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$2,400
Once Given a White Rose 2
Agbalaya Abdulahi Opeyemi
Painting - 33 x 25.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 13 x 10 x 1 inch
$650
Hold Up
Jean-Charles De Castelbajac
Design - 26.5 x 26.5 x 2 cm Design - 10.4 x 10.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,300
Ventre de Paris
Mikhail Chemiakine
Painting - 30 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch
$2,543
Andi with Rolleiflex in Yamamoto coat
Oliver Hadji
Photography - 40 x 40 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$925
Girl at the table
Butkovsky Nikolai
Painting - 40 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
$763
Who Are These Angels CXLIII
Naoko Paluszak
Painting - 40.6 x 30.5 x 3.8 cm Painting - 16 x 12 x 1.5 inch
$850
Binti mrembo (beautiful girl)
Mosoti Kepha
Sculpture - 48.5 x 31 x 2.5 cm Sculpture - 19.1 x 12.2 x 1 inch
$2,185
Enigma IV - scène de vie onirique inspiré du paysage d'Hourtin plage, presqu'île du Médoc
Ti Ban
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$578
Délia Fille de la Mer
Laurent Chimento
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$728
Untitled
Alexandre Taillandier
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 50 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$798
Ecoute II
Bze Bzeland
Fine Art Drawings - 48.3 x 32.9 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 13 x 0 inch
$231
Untitled
Duván López
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch
$694
Soy feliz...Si nada te quita el sueño
Carol Tomàs Alcaine
Painting - 40 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$925
Joyful Moment 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Children
Oluwatobiloba Amusan
Painting - 30.5 x 25.4 x 2.5 cm Painting - 12 x 10 x 1 inch
$650
Joy of Life (sculpture on table mirror)
Erte Tirtoff
Sculpture - 25.4 x 44.5 x 31.8 cm Sculpture - 10 x 17.5 x 12.5 inch
$3,500
Corset, Portrait of an Equestrienne
Amrita Bilimoria
Photography - 45.7 x 34.8 x 0.5 cm Photography - 18 x 13.7 x 0.2 inch
$1,600
La mélodie des oiseaux qui passent
Philippe Loubat
Painting - 41 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$751
Cache cache sur le pont
Jean-Marc Stoeffler
Photography - 37 x 47 x 1 cm Photography - 14.6 x 18.5 x 0.4 inch
$289
Sans titre
Edouard Emeliyantsev
Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.4 inch
$751
Trio de la reine
Emmanuel Braudeau
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$751
El grupo (Colección La Bolsa Mágica)
Sonja H Lukenic
Photography - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$1,040
Fougère amazone
Aurélie Trabaud
Photography - 50 x 40 x 0.3 cm Photography - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,757
Salpetrière, portrait #1
Gwendoline Hausermann
Fine Art Drawings - 27.5 x 21.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.8 x 8.5 inch
$694
Gaze 2 - Contemporary, 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women
Ayotunde Ayomide
Painting - 50.8 x 40.6 x 2.5 cm Painting - 20 x 16 x 1 inch
$1,100 $825
Totem Portrait of Modern People
Liu Bolin
Sculpture - 43 x 25 x 25 cm Sculpture - 16.9 x 9.8 x 9.8 inch
$9,131
Stanza metafisica
Dr. Love
Fine Art Drawings - 39 x 27 x 0.4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.4 x 10.6 x 0.2 inch
$104
Buste Rose Baccarat - Portrait singulier pâte de verre
Gilles Vadel
Sculpture - 30 x 24 x 12 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 9.4 x 4.7 inch
$694
Edition sur papier Oksana 7302019625190007E N°12/50
Pola 4.0
Print - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$670
Cosmic Profile (original mixed media and watercolor)
Peter Max
Fine Art Drawings - 30.5 x 34.3 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12 x 13.5 x 0.1 inch
$4,500
La belle endormie
Christiane Bernais
Sculpture - 29 x 33 x 16 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 13 x 6.3 inch
$1,098 $988
Petite dame au Fourreau
Josepha
Sculpture - 40 x 15 x 10 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 5.9 x 3.9 inch
$13,293
Close to nothing (Pink)
Sophie Derrick
Photography - 42 x 30 x 8 cm Photography - 16.5 x 11.8 x 3.1 inch
$1,647
Tina Turner, Paris
Bob Gruen
Photography - 35.6 x 27.9 x 1.3 cm Photography - 14 x 11 x 0.5 inch
$1,950
Summertime… and the livin’ is easy
Kristina Mallen
Print - 47 x 47 x 0.1 cm Print - 18.5 x 18.5 x 0 inch
$566
To Dye or Not To Die. Drawings From the covid diaries series
Megha Joshi
Fine Art Drawings - 40.6 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16 x 12 x 0.1 inch
$1,200
Cosi Fan Tutte Fleurdelise
Erte Tirtoff
Painting - 38.1 x 26.7 x 0.3 cm Painting - 15 x 10.5 x 0.1 inch
$3,950
Nai (Identity Assertions Series)
Imanol Marrodán
Photography - 30 x 36.5 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 14.4 x 0 inch
$925