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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Le Palais de Chaillot
Charles Malle
Fine Art Drawings - 23 x 31 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.1 x 12.2 x 0 inch
$298
Héloïse et le lapin écarlate
Lucie De Syracuse
Sculpture - 34 x 19 x 19 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 7.5 x 7.5 inch
$596
Sometimes it Don't Seem Easy
Dylan Roworth
Painting - 41 x 31 x 4 cm Painting - 16.1 x 12.2 x 1.6 inch
$799
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
$596
Lovers - The portrait of love 3
Carmen Tyrrell
Painting - 50 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$705
Petit bar à Kyoto - série voyage en Asie
Brigitte Genty
Painting - 46 x 38 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 15 x 0.8 inch
$465
Moine bouddhiste avec un jeune novice
The opium smoking white elephant
Painting - 50 x 40 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 inch
$954
When Boys Become Men
Roberto Fernando Salmon
Painting - 40.5 x 32 x 2.4 cm Painting - 15.9 x 12.6 x 0.9 inch
$596
Olivier (ALB75)
Alain Le Boucher
Sculpture - 18 x 30 x 7 cm Sculpture - 7.1 x 11.8 x 2.8 inch
$2,921
Nothingness (Le Néant)
Nathanaëlle Dianga
Painting - 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$954
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
$834
Post cards from the beach #25
Sylvia Shanahan
Painting - 45.7 x 45.7 x 5.1 cm Painting - 18 x 18 x 2 inch
$800
Decoration
Tako Chanchaleishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 41 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 16.1 x 0 inch
$656
Sincerity
Kamsar Ohanyan
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$477
Fleurs de nuit
Yosef Joseph Dadoune
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$834
Paysage de campagne avec montagnes et nuages
Albert Jakob Welti
Painting - 32.5 x 40.5 x 0.5 cm Painting - 12.8 x 15.9 x 0.2 inch
$1,084
Abstract No. 2024
Vanessa Cuthbert
Painting - 27 x 32 x 2 cm Painting - 10.6 x 12.6 x 0.8 inch
$2,046
200 m à l'eau pékinoise en 102 secondes 96
Stéphanie Guglielmetti
Sculpture - 32 x 32 x 2.5 cm Sculpture - 12.6 x 12.6 x 1 inch
$2,146
I Didn't Say It
Laura Basterra Sanz
Painting - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$1,482
Brasier boréal
Emmanuelle Gendron
Painting - 40.6 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm Painting - 16 x 16 x 1.5 inch
$642
Neige près de Lacoste
Jacques Loiseau
Painting - 27 x 35 x 5 cm Painting - 10.6 x 13.8 x 2 inch
$715
Homme Oiseau Jaune 1984 Yellow Man Bird
Kong Ok Sim
Painting - 30 x 21 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$709
Woman Hiking up her Dress
Christian Frederiksen
Painting - 40 x 25 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 9.8 x 0 inch
$1,121
Profile of Abstraction
Sergey Khachatryan
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,800
The Spirit Remains
Daniel Gibson
Fine Art Drawings - 22.86 x 30.48 x 2.54 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9 x 12 x 1 inch
$9,500
yellow pylon worker
Jean-Jacques Mancardi
Sculpture - 36 x 25.5 x 16 cm Sculpture - 14.2 x 10 x 6.3 inch
$3,815
Visage contre visage
Francis Coffinet
Sculpture - 35 x 24 x 2 cm Sculpture - 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
$2,623
Cyclops 2
Christian Frederiksen
Fine Art Drawings - 36 x 29 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14.2 x 11.4 x 0 inch
$834
