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…

Read more
Painting, Ipomea, Marzia Trinca

Marzia Trinca

Painting . 40 x 50 x 0.4 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch

€650

Painting, Breath, Xanda McCagg

Xanda McCagg

Painting . 30.5 x 30.5 x 4.4 cm Painting . 12 x 12 x 1.7 inch

€1,460

Painting, Starry Night, Lexi Caiqin

Lexi Caiqin

Painting . 50 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€5,700

Painting, L'innocente, Fransoist

Fransoist

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

€950

Painting, L'Oeuf, Edouard Arthur

Edouard Arthur

Painting . 23.5 x 30.5 x 0.5 cm Painting . 9.3 x 12 x 0.2 inch

€1,134

Painting, My castle, Gregory Verheecke

Gregory Verheecke

Painting . 50 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€1,800

Painting, Lotus Soul 17, Jiaqing Liang

Jiaqing Liang

Painting . 36 x 26 x 0.3 cm Painting . 14.2 x 10.2 x 0.1 inch

€685

Fine Art Drawings, Part of the sea, Olga Afanasiadi

Olga Afanasiadi

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€410

Painting, Memories, Olga García

Olga García

Painting . 36 x 41 cm Painting . 14.2 x 16.1 inch

€490

Painting, Untitled, Ghada Jamal

Ghada Jamal

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

€1,350

Painting, A Dreamer, Carl White

Carl White

Painting . 42 x 31 x 1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 12.2 x 0.4 inch

€1,115

Painting, Butterfly, Liva Pakalne

Liva Pakalne

Painting . 40 x 40 x 8 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 3.1 inch

€1,900

Painting, Wintery, Nelli Tsenova

Nelli Tsenova

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

€920

Painting, Les devoirs, Marc Dailly

Marc Dailly

Painting . 40 x 39 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.4 x 0.8 inch

€1,800

Painting, Adjacent note, Xanda McCagg

Xanda McCagg

Painting . 30.5 x 30.5 x 4.4 cm Painting . 12 x 12 x 1.7 inch

€1,460

Painting, Hannah, Jean-Luc Almond

Jean-Luc Almond

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

€2,141

Painting, Bride, Hrair Gharib

Hrair Gharib

Painting . 35.5 x 45.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 14 x 17.9 x 0 inch

€599

Painting, Peonies, Olga Ponomarenko

Olga Ponomarenko

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

€1,185

Painting, Carnival, Alexander Dobrodiy

Alexander Dobrodiy

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

€900

Painting, Apurant, Joan Descarga

Joan Descarga

Painting . 28 x 19 cm Painting . 11 x 7.5 inch

€777

Painting, Vue du port, Tom Davies

Tom Davies

Painting . 16 x 27 x 0.3 cm Painting . 6.3 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch

€1,032

Painting, Dark Hole, God Sylver

God Sylver

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

€1,380

Painting, Mustang, Augustina Droze

Augustina Droze

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

€3,795

Painting, Mixing and duality, BEM

BEM

Painting . 50 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€9,000

Painting, First button, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

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

€1,440

Painting, Hera, Iryna Perova

Iryna Perova

Painting . 30 x 40 x 0.5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch

€1,815

Painting, Landscape, Mario Asnago

Mario Asnago

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

€2,200

Painting, Fall Color, Richard Szkutnik

Richard Szkutnik

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.5 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.2 inch

€1,413

Painting, Red roses, Stephen Haws

Stephen Haws

Painting . 45.7 x 35.6 x 2 cm Painting . 18 x 14 x 0.8 inch

€593

20/100