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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Painting, Untitled, Teppei Ikehila

Teppei Ikehila

Painting . 33 x 33 x 3 cm Painting . 13 x 13 x 1.2 inch

€620

Painting, Insolite, Florence V. Henric

Florence V. Henric

Painting . 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€500

Painting, Cidouille, Louis Besnier

Louis Besnier

Painting . 29.7 x 21 x 0.02 cm Painting . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€110

Painting, Splitter basket, Lea Karvala

Lea Karvala

Painting . 27 x 35 x 3 cm Painting . 10.6 x 13.8 x 1.2 inch

€630

Painting, Explosion 3, Léa Damaggio

Léa Damaggio

Painting . 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€460

Painting, Explosion 2, Léa Damaggio

Léa Damaggio

Painting . 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€460

Painting, Autumn, Daniil Litvinov

Daniil Litvinov

Painting . 16 x 32 x 2 cm Painting . 6.3 x 12.6 x 0.8 inch

€185

Painting, Whiff of Mamory, Kim Jandi

Kim Jandi

Painting . 35 x 27 x 2 cm Painting . 13.8 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€440

Painting, Elaine, Daniel Timko

Daniel Timko

Painting . 30 x 21 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€335

Fine Art Drawings, Portrait, François Chapuis

François Chapuis

Fine Art Drawings . 49 x 35 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.3 x 13.8 x 0.1 inch

€580

Fine Art Drawings, Hamburger !, Noël Granger

Noël Granger

Fine Art Drawings . 29 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.4 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€110

Fine Art Drawings, La mouette !, Noël Granger

Noël Granger

Fine Art Drawings . 28 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€110

Painting, Red maiden. Love, Ljubow Jung

Ljubow Jung

Painting . 40 x 30 x 1.5 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch

€565

Painting, Red maiden. Hope, Ljubow Jung

Ljubow Jung

Painting . 40 x 30 x 1.5 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch

€565

Painting, Cornflowers., Ljubow Jung

Ljubow Jung

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€734

Fine Art Drawings, Lady and news, Luigi Bompard

Luigi Bompard

Fine Art Drawings . 25.5 x 20 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10 x 7.9 x 0.1 inch

€560

Painting, Mood, Ljubow Jung

Ljubow Jung

Painting . 50 x 50 x 1.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.6 inch

€734

Fine Art Drawings, La farandole, Lyne Seybel

Lyne Seybel

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 30 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€280

Fine Art Drawings, Afrikalus1, Kalus

Kalus

Fine Art Drawings . 18 x 26 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 7.1 x 10.2 x 0.4 inch

€120

Print, Love and a Dove, Samy Briss

Samy Briss

Print . 30.5 x 33 x 0.5 cm Print . 12 x 13 x 0.2 inch

€260

Painting, Beach Study, Mark Hunter

Mark Hunter

Painting . 22.9 x 30.5 x 2.5 cm Painting . 9 x 12 x 1 inch

€638

Painting, Orange, Doïna Vieru

Doïna Vieru

Painting . 41 x 33 x 4 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 1.6 inch

€400

Painting, Routemaster, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Painting . 22 x 32 x 0.1 cm Painting . 8.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€99

Fine Art Drawings, Femmes 19, Arancha Tejedor

Arancha Tejedor

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

€160

Photography, Berlin, Guy Sargent

Guy Sargent

Photography . 46 x 46 x 0.2 cm Photography . 18.1 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch

€425

Painting, What?, Juffrouw Springtouw

Juffrouw Springtouw

Painting . 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€950

Painting, Red Canyon, Richard Szkutnik

Richard Szkutnik

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.5 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.2 inch

€1,413

Photography, Mooncake I, Shine Huang

Shine Huang

Photography . 50.8 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Photography . 20 x 20 x 0.1 inch

€2,188

Painting, Miami 14, MilK

MilK

Painting . 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€150

Painting, Hill side, Anand Manchiraju

Anand Manchiraju

Painting . 30.5 x 38.1 x 0.3 cm Painting . 12 x 15 x 0.1 inch

€2,736

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