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, Costa Ligure, Yves Gianni

Yves Gianni

Painting . 31 x 49 x 0.5 cm Painting . 12.2 x 19.3 x 0.2 inch

€2,033

Fine Art Drawings, Looking up, Frank De Blok

Frank De Blok

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 30 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 11.8 inch

€220

Painting, Ville rose, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Painting . 32 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€850

Painting, Yellow taxi, Darren Thompson

Darren Thompson

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

€1,097

Painting, City View, Louis Mazot

Louis Mazot

Painting . 25.5 x 31 x 0.5 cm Painting . 10 x 12.2 x 0.2 inch

€800

Painting, Landscape, Sandro Fabrizi

Sandro Fabrizi

Painting . 50 x 45 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,250

Photography, Intervals 1., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Photography . 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€320

Painting, The Night, Piotr Fafrowicz

Piotr Fafrowicz

Painting . 36 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting . 14.2 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€900

Painting, La route -1, Ivan Tzonev

Ivan Tzonev

Painting . 50 x 50 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

€225

Painting, Paris, Alfred Ziethlow

Alfred Ziethlow

Painting . 48 x 36 x 0.02 cm Painting . 18.9 x 14.2 x 0 inch

€4,500

Photography, Circus, Katerina Belkina

Katerina Belkina

Photography . 30 x 40 cm Photography . 11.8 x 15.7 inch

€1,829

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Camille Adra

Camille Adra

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 40 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 15.7 inch

€200

Photography, HK Flora (1), Camille Levert

Camille Levert

Photography . 47 x 47 x 3 cm Photography . 18.5 x 18.5 x 1.2 inch

€5,500

Painting, New York, Louis Magre

Louis Magre

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

€1,400

Painting, Salvador, Christelle Bauduin

Christelle Bauduin

Painting . 40 x 30 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€700

Painting, Urban Illusion, GraffMatt

GraffMatt

Painting . 29 x 19 x 0.5 cm Painting . 11.4 x 7.5 x 0.2 inch

€270

Painting, Heart of the City, Iryna Rets

Iryna Rets

Painting . 41 x 29.5 x 0.4 cm Painting . 16.1 x 11.6 x 0.2 inch

€540

Painting, Platja, Martínez Lozano

Martínez Lozano

Painting . 38 x 45 x 3 cm Painting . 15 x 17.7 x 1.2 inch

€3,200

Painting, Venice, Lusie Schellenberg

Lusie Schellenberg

Painting . 35 x 45 x 1 cm Painting . 13.8 x 17.7 x 0.4 inch

€900

Painting, Wintery, Nelli Tsenova

Nelli Tsenova

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

€920

Fine Art Drawings, English village, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

Fine Art Drawings . 21.5 x 30.6 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.5 x 12 x 0 inch

€2,500

Painting, Game Plan, Debbie Pacheco

Debbie Pacheco

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 1.5 inch

€905

Painting, Cityscape #7, Darren Thompson

Darren Thompson

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

€1,097

Painting, Ville jaune, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Painting . 32 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€850

Sculpture, Night Rain, Jeff Cunningham

Jeff Cunningham

Sculpture . 30 x 43 x 1.5 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 16.9 x 0.6 inch

€1,201

Sculpture, Soledad, Chloé Sontrop

Chloé Sontrop

Sculpture . 38 x 16 x 16 cm Sculpture . 15 x 6.3 x 6.3 inch

€3,800 €3,420

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

Painting, Old Town Morning, Igor Galan

Igor Galan

Painting . 30 x 36 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 14.2 x 0.8 inch

€950