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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Paysage printanier
Pierre-Alain Michel
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,200
Beautiful Honfleur
ShuJie et Frank Wang et De Blok
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€500
Paysages imaginaires (1)
Joséphine De Saint Seine
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 24 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch
€1,500
Pink Painter the Vandal & Blue vandal (1)
Truteau
Painting - 41 x 31 x 0.01 cm Painting - 16.1 x 12.2 x 0 inch
€550
Lou dans la cuisine à Vergisson
Marc Dailly
Painting - 38 x 28 x 2 cm Painting - 15 x 11 x 0.8 inch
€1,400
The guiding light, Painting, Acrylic on canvas
Amy Bernays
Painting - 30.5 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting - 12 x 16 x 0.1 inch
€777
Chroma VII
Elena Disabato
Fine Art Drawings - 50.8 x 40.6 x 1.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 16 x 0.5 inch
€540
Sincerity
Kamsar Ohanyan
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€400
Poissons volants
Hélène Lagnieu
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€800
Nappe rouge
Jacques Despierre
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 33 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 13 x 0 inch
€850
A Look Inside the Mirror
Nazar Ivanyuk
Painting - 38 x 32 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15 x 12.6 x 0.1 inch
€800
Sans titre
Takeru Amano
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 8.3 x 0 inch
€1,300
Toi et Moi
Lali Kakubava
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.7 x 0 inch
€500
Moine bouddhiste avec un jeune novice
The opium smoking white elephant
Painting - 50 x 40 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 inch
€800
Ice Crime (1)
Olivia Clavel
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 32 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch
€800
Walden 7, Serie V - Limited Edition
Arantza NT Photography
Photography - 30 x 20 x 0.5 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch
€120
Pyramid (hand signed three dimensional screen print)
Roy Lichtenstein
Print - 37.5 x 50.2 x 50.2 cm Print - 14.75 x 19.75 x 19.75 inch
€22,999
Olivier (ALB75)
Alain Le Boucher
Sculpture - 18 x 30 x 7 cm Sculpture - 7.1 x 11.8 x 2.8 inch
€2,450
Mains et merveilles
César Baldaccini
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 30 x 5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 11.8 x 2 inch
€4,200
Nothingness (Le Néant)
Nathanaëlle Dianga
Painting - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
€800
Sans Titre
Robert Wilson
Fine Art Drawings - 25 x 32 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.8 x 12.6 x 0.1 inch
€1,200
Over the rainbow, Under the stars
Hiromi Sengoku
Painting - 33.2 x 24.2 x 3 cm Painting - 13.1 x 9.5 x 1.2 inch
€700
Decoration
Tako Chanchaleishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 41 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 16.1 x 0 inch
€550
Le sentier côtier
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,700
