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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L'éternelle fragilité
Thomas Mainardi
Painting - 50 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch
$1,548
Untitled (DesignerCon Sketch)
Hebru Brantley
Fine Art Drawings - 29.8 x 29.8 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 11.7 x 0.8 inch
$8,500
Puzzle park
Andrea Van Der Hoeven
Sculpture - 30 x 30 x 1 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$167
Tam Tam Graffiti - street art
Noël Granger
Design - 45 x 31 x 31 cm Design - 17.7 x 12.2 x 12.2 inch
$356
E.T. Phone Home
Pix3ln
Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch
$595
Those 15 minutes
Mana Key & Doc.Lp
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,786
Drawing
James Jarvis
Fine Art Drawings - 29.21 x 20.955 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.5 x 8.3 x 0.8 inch
$2,500
Vive les fleurs multicolores
Seb Paul Michel
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
$202
Custom vas et vive les fleurs
Seb Paul Michel
Design - 30 x 20 x 20 cm Design - 11.8 x 7.9 x 7.9 inch
$167
Journée au musée en 2052
Canned Duo d'artistes
Print - 29.7 x 42 x 0.1 cm Print - 11.7 x 16.5 x 0 inch
$274
Tinta
Patopalomo
Fine Art Drawings - 41 x 33 x 0.34 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.1 x 13 x 0.1 inch
$548
5G Upgrade
Nite Owl
Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch
$417
Floating Through Life
Majic Monster
Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch
$1,429
Minne Mouse x Murakami
Miss Mouse
Sculpture - 45 x 20 x 20 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 7.9 x 7.9 inch
$2,143
Double V
Rodrigo Miguel Sepúlveda Nunes VILE
Painting - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$1,667
Punky Skull Onesiker Black Storm
Sther
Sculpture - 34 x 31 x 16 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 12.2 x 6.3 inch
$7,143
Le baiser du capitalisme
Riks, Tiez & Romano
Print - 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Print - 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$214
Skeme and Lava - N.Y.C Legends
Big Daddy
Photography - 20 x 30 x 1 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
$298
Stormtroopers colors
Bernard Saint-Maxent
Painting - 49 x 39 x 6 cm Painting - 19.3 x 15.4 x 2.4 inch
$1,429
Le sens de l'espace
Gaëlle Wagner
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1 inch
$1,179
Poetry In Motion (with painted box)
JonOne
Print - 27 x 27 x 3 cm Print - 10.6 x 10.6 x 1.2 inch
$1,786
A la izquierda, a la derecha, por el sur y por el norte
Josep Guinovart
Print - 47 x 49 cm Print - 18.5 x 19.3 inch
$595
Styles Change - Style Endures _ yellow
Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Print - 48.26 x 35.56 cm Print - 19 x 14 inch
$714
Amy Winehouse, do it with style
Patrick Cornée
Painting - 50 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
$2,262
Live your fucking best life
Patrick Cornée
Painting - 50 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
$2,262
