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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Photography, Vierge Noire, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography . 27.1 x 18.7 x 0.1 cm Photography . 10.7 x 7.4 x 0 inch

£1,150

Print, Lory, James Jean

James Jean

Print . 35.6 x 28 x 0.2 cm Print . 14 x 11 x 0.1 inch

£1,771

Photography, Pigalle, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography . 26.7 x 35.6 x 0.1 cm Photography . 10.5 x 14 x 0 inch

£1,416

Photography, The Mist, Shulan Wang

Shulan Wang

Photography . 30 x 45 x 1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.4 inch

£886

Photography, Danse du feu, Bze Bzeland

Bze Bzeland

Photography . 32.9 x 48.3 x 0.1 cm Photography . 13 x 19 x 0 inch

£177

Photography, Soft Mornings, Arantza NT

Arantza NT

Photography . 45 x 30 x 0.01 cm Photography . 17.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

£177

Print, Barack Obama, Marie Serruya

Marie Serruya

Print . 29.7 x 21 x 0.3 cm Print . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch

£1,063

Photography, Entre aguas, Tere Duro

Tere Duro

Photography . 50 x 33 cm Photography . 19.7 x 13 inch

£443

Print, Flora, Irena Aizen

Irena Aizen

Print . 50 x 48 x 2.5 cm Print . 19.7 x 18.9 x 1 inch

£1,027

Print, 5th Dimension, Cajuca

Cajuca

Print . 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Print . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

£324

Photography, BrotherS (S), Streety

Streety

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

£221

Photography, Low water, Cristina Fontsare

Cristina Fontsare

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

£1,063

Photography, Aftermath, Fiona Tan

Fiona Tan

Photography . 32.5 x 47.5 x 0.1 cm Photography . 12.8 x 18.7 x 0 inch

£2,657

Photography, Borrowed Time, Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

£2,126

Photography, Mirror, Maciej Leszczynski

Maciej Leszczynski

Photography . 18 x 28 cm Photography . 7.1 x 11 inch

£310

Print, Cherry Kate, Batik

Batik

Print . 50 x 50 cm Print . 19.7 x 19.7 inch

£1,063

Photography, Silet water, Mikaela Olovsson

Mikaela Olovsson

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

£443

Print, Hands On, Albert Oehlen

Albert Oehlen

Print . 34 x 50 cm Print . 13.4 x 19.7 inch

£523

Photography, Kintsugi IV, Romain Liverato

Romain Liverato

Photography . 50 x 50 x 1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

£886

Print, Cactus, Joanna Gebal

Joanna Gebal

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

£151

Photography, Vase 7, Feng Wang

Feng Wang

Photography . 50 x 50 x 1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

£1,063

Print, 221215, Wang Guangle

Wang Guangle

Print . 49 x 38 x 2 cm Print . 19.3 x 15 x 0.8 inch

£6,642

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

£4,871

Photography, Illusoire II, Patricia HOUIN

Patricia HOUIN

Photography . 30 x 44 x 0.3 cm Photography . 11.8 x 17.3 x 0.1 inch

£518

Print, Pensieri, Lucio Monaco

Lucio Monaco

Print . 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Print . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch

£150

Photography, First Portal Found, Ana Bathe

Ana Bathe

Photography . 30 x 20 x 0.25 cm Photography . 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.1 inch

£354

Print, Low Tide, Alex Carr

Alex Carr

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

£44

Print, Fusion, Natalia Naumova

Natalia Naumova

Print . 50 x 40 x 1.7 cm Print . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.7 inch

£324

Print, Submission, Nigel Howlett

Nigel Howlett

Print . 46.99 x 41.6 x 1 cm Print . 18.5 x 16.4 x 0.4 inch

£3,651