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

20/100 1 10 18 19 20 21 22 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Categories

Subcategories

Small

Dame de coeur

Dame de carreau

Broken Rain

A White Elegance

Anthropomorphism IV

Anthropomorphism III

L'ange sur collage

L'ange

The Portrait

The Portrait

Self Portrait After Antonello da Messina

Girl

Portrait

Self Portrait

Spanish Girl

Portrait

Nude

Portrait

Portrait of Maurizio

No name

The General

Tango

Jack Krine

Cabeza oxidada

Retrato Picasso

Rembrandt drawing

The Couple

Brindille

Handsome stockings

Wave your ears

Peintre et modèle III

Jealousy

Ballerine joie de vivre

Comment Section

Djinn - Le Lac du Plaisir

Djinn -Tu es ma tentation

Djinn -Nuits de Jade

A night of midsummer

Poison Ivy Glamour

Optimus Metallicus / TrashFormers series

The Old Soldier VS Beautiful Young Zealot

Gremlins

Simple Uncle Sam

Complémentaires

Butterfly

Taxi Driver, June 13

Primavera

Audrey et Eléphants

Grand Palais, Paris

Desperate

Life in the Carpathians, Romania

The winner

Mechanical Mermaids

Seated Woman

Sepulchre

Femme à la ceinture

The pink Bauhaus skull

La confiance

Chapeau

Fleur

Concorso d'eleganza

In flight I

Ecrans

Water

Self-portrait

Angel