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, Chaplin and a Friend, FOV

FOV

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

€500 €400

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, Laguna, Tom

Tom

Painting . 50 x 50 x 3.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.4 inch

€6,500

Painting, Portrait, Marlena Nizio

Marlena Nizio

Painting . 50 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€700

Painting, Sans titre, Meteo Meteo

Meteo Meteo

Painting . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€120

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, Moon night, Gencho Nakev

Gencho Nakev

Painting . 50 x 50 x 2.3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.9 inch

€980

Painting, Rose - 997, Aykaz Arzumanyan

Aykaz Arzumanyan

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

€860

Sculpture, R2Rock, Sylvie Cappe

Sylvie Cappe

Sculpture . 41 x 35 x 35 cm Sculpture . 16.1 x 13.8 x 13.8 inch

€880

Painting, Persian motif, Nelli Tsenova

Nelli Tsenova

Painting . 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€660

Photography, Impermanence, Michaela Haider

Michaela Haider

Photography . 49.8 x 49.8 x 0.3 cm Photography . 19.6 x 19.6 x 0.1 inch

€909

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

Fine Art Drawings, Le trait - 04, Ludovica Cholet

Ludovica Cholet

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

€600

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, Play Of Light, Eva Olsson

Eva Olsson

Painting . 33 x 43 x 3 cm Painting . 13 x 16.9 x 1.2 inch

€1,350

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, Hanami 2, Kerstin Paillard

Kerstin Paillard

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

€1,500

Fine Art Drawings, Théorèmes #1, Nagsoul

Nagsoul

Fine Art Drawings . 22 x 32 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€800

Sculpture, Fuck Colors, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 24 x 31 x 12 cm Sculpture . 9.4 x 12.2 x 4.7 inch

€230

Painting, Cadences II, Lison Favarger

Lison Favarger

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

€1,012

Painting, Night landscape 2, Goddog

Goddog

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

€850

Painting, Annabella, Tolooie Shahab

Tolooie Shahab

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

€240

Painting, Her path, Carlos Diaz

Carlos Diaz

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

€1,950

Fine Art Drawings, Paramécies 3, Thierry Robert

Thierry Robert

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

€420

Photography, The Kiss, Stéphane Lanoux

Stéphane Lanoux

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.3 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

€350

Sculpture, 24-Circus, Alain Signori

Alain Signori

Sculpture . 29 x 21 x 4 cm Sculpture . 11.4 x 8.3 x 1.6 inch

€600

Painting, Surfacing, Karaya

Karaya

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

€2,100

Print, City, Mr.Tris

Mr.Tris

Print . 24 x 36 x 0.2 cm Print . 9.4 x 14.2 x 0.1 inch

€120

Painting, Cliffs, Greet Helsen

Greet Helsen

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

€1,020

Painting, Uma, Esther Barend

Uma

Esther Barend

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

€2,500

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