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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Small

Hongui

L'art de la joie

1979 South Korean Blue Figure Collection MMCA Museum Modern Contemporary Art Seoul

Call me President

Cyrano de berje craque !

Oriflamme

Smoking girl

Masque (print) (AP 1/2)

Untitled

Liberty Leading People by Basquiat

Miami heat kid cup

Modella, 1975

Woman

Portrait de Melle Bachelard

Untitled

Woman

Object II

Portrait with Dove

Barack

Man at the Window

Satyrical Portrait of Benito Mussolini

Sketches

Andy Warhol

Comment vas-tu mon poussin ?

Aus der Serie: Mystische Thai-Visionen: Heilige Pilze und Blumen (11)

Autoportrait

Et le verbe fût

La révérence

A piece of my mind

Reflection

Wahou

La Luxure - Les Sept péchés capitaux

Scrivo di sguardi

Le chapeau rouge

Le désir

Untitled

La Loge, série Opéra

Dialogue entre voisins 1

Face color

Au lever

Jeune fille au Bouquet

Carolyn Carlson 2

No Sense cleansing

Lempicka

Famous30#1

Composition I

Three-quarter-length woman

Emerging tree

Head 6

Il Re (The King)

La femme zèbre

Claartje

Sadness screen - pink

Serge Gainsbourg

Selfie Queen

Viens !

Goku meets Picasso

Mini Lego Robin

Anisoptera

Drawing I

Splash

Portrait

Geisha Noir

Creatività

Sergei Sviatchenko - Capacity For Conjuring Illusion 8

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