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…

Search by Image

Save your search and find it in your favorites

14/100 1 10 12 13 14 15 16 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Categories

Subcategories

Small

Dachau

Singing and Dancing

Untitled 4 (Nature Takes Back series)

Au lever

Jeune fille au Bouquet

Sans Titre

La Sainte-Victoire

La femme zèbre

Procession vers la Colline de Sion

Selfie Queen

Como una mariposa

I met Bowie

Monopoloup II

Terrasse des paresseux

5G Upgrade

Life in the Carpathians, Romania

Double Face

Guerriere

Floating Through Life

La Prise de Jérusalem

Plateforme Environnementale

Sepulchre

Vache couchée I

Bam

Requiem IV

Bouddha Pop star

Urbain brutalisme, Bleu Majorelle - Photographie digigraphie

Self-portrait

Les parapluies

La Lampe à Pétrole

Portrait d'enfant

Partie de Campagne

A Moto !

Heater

The Wash House

Squares

Etel

Poet became night

The masked life

Frivolity

Group

The Sculptor

Adaba

Urbain brutalisme - Photographie digigraphie

Mains aux graines et coccinelles

Portrait Rêveur

Evening City

Camille

Joséphine Baker

We Used to Believe in Story

Landscape

Yeni Cami (nouvelle mosquée)

Deep sea

Autoportrait

Smat156,part2

Envy

Mutations

MNE

Salzburg

Olgas NT

Glimpse

Gorilla Berengei

Orange is the mediterranean

JM.Flower Power

London, NY, LA, Tokyo and other cities in Asia

Morning