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…
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Save your search to find it quickly
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
Petit panda crazy love couleurs
Miko-R
Sculpture - 36 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture - 14.2 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch
Sold
Minion Tomato Soup Heart
Vincent Duchêne
Sculpture - 27 x 10 x 10 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch
Sold
Queen Elisabeth with golden Basquiat crown
UTN
Painting - 45 x 32 cm Painting - 17.7 x 12.6 inch
Sold
No Way Home
Jean-Jacques Mancardi
Sculpture - 46 x 27 x 17 cm Sculpture - 18.1 x 10.6 x 6.7 inch
Sold
Graffeuse sur bloc béton
Jean-Jacques Mancardi
Sculpture - 21 x 29 x 13 cm Sculpture - 8.3 x 11.4 x 5.1 inch
Sold
Planche Originale Storm T.3 : Le Peuple du désert Page 39
Don Lawrence
Painting - 41 x 32 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.1 inch
Sold
Le Petit Prince revisite Basquiat
Sokar
Print - 32 x 45 x 0.5 cm Print - 12.6 x 17.7 x 0.2 inch
Sold
Rat invasion VS Bored Ape
Simone De Rosa
Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch
Sold
Tudo Bem - In the Wood Planks
Nacks
Painting - 50 x 50 x 4.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.8 inch
Sold
Naruto dans un Monde Abstrait
Nacks
Painting - 40 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch
Sold
Nite Nite (White)
Tatsuhiro Ide
Sculpture - 30 x 25.9 x 26.9 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 10.2 x 10.6 inch
Sold
Queen Elisabeth with yellow Basquiat crown
UTN
Painting - 45 x 32 cm Painting - 17.7 x 12.6 inch
Sold
Luxury evil and bored Ape
Simone De Rosa
Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 12 x 0 inch
Sold
time is money
Jean-Jacques Mancardi
Sculpture - 47 x 24 x 15 cm Sculpture - 18.5 x 9.4 x 5.9 inch
Sold
The Last Piece
Andrea Van Der Hoeven
Painting - 35 x 35 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch
Sold
Failed robbery
Simone De Rosa
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
Sold
The Big Apple
Pierre-Yves Riveaux (Pez)
Sculpture - 36.83 x 26.67 x 24.13 cm Sculpture - 14.5 x 10.5 x 9.5 inch
Sold
Brick Block Banksy Balloon Girl
Olivier DeGroote
Sculpture - 26 x 19 x 10 cm Sculpture - 10.2 x 7.5 x 3.9 inch
Sold
Brick Block Louis Vuitton
Olivier DeGroote
Sculpture - 20 x 27 x 10 cm Sculpture - 7.9 x 10.6 x 3.9 inch
Sold
Felix VS LV world
Simone De Rosa
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0 inch
Sold
But first Love
Simone De Rosa
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0 inch
Sold
Vietnamese Restaurant in Ganges
Robert Crumb
Fine Art Drawings - 23 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
Sold
Super Mario Common Stock
Simone De Rosa
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 30 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
Sold
Lineas and Banksy girl
VL.
Fine Art Drawings - 29 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.4 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
Sold
Lineas and Banksy Girl
VL.
Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 29 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.9 x 11.4 x 0.4 inch
Sold
Mr.Hope a la tête dans les nuages
MrHope
Painting - 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch
Sold
Wild Kong Red 30cm
Richard Orlinski
Sculpture - 30 x 24 x 11 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 9.4 x 4.3 inch
Sold
Little Live is Beautiful with Chanel
Eklektik
Painting - 29 x 29 x 3.5 cm Painting - 11.4 x 11.4 x 1.4 inch
Sold
