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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Au bout du Cap Coz
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
€470 €400
Lumière matinale au Cap Coz
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
€470 €400
Plage du Cap Coz
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
€470 €400
Ile de Ré - Les marais salants
Frédéric Cadiou
Painting - 35 x 24 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch
€470 €400
Composition 2
Roland Topor
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 50 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 19.7 inch
€5,000
Les mots n'ont plus de bouche
Valerio Adami
Print - 31 x 28.5 x 0.05 cm Print - 12.2 x 11.2 x 0 inch
€300
Reciprocity 8
Agathe Wagner
Fine Art Drawings - 24 x 33 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9.4 x 13 x 0.4 inch
€500
Alejandra
Cristina Fontsare
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
€800 €640
Pélican au grand bec
Jean Amiel
Sculpture - 30 x 22 x 15 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 8.7 x 5.9 inch
€2,250
Black & white soul I
Cecile Filipe
Painting - 44 x 34 x 2 cm Painting - 17.3 x 13.4 x 0.8 inch
€1,000
La prima colazione
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 30 x 16 x 0.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 6.3 x 0.2 inch
€235
Un concerto per violino
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 33 x 13 x 0.3 cm Painting - 13 x 5.1 x 0.1 inch
€235
Israel Flag at the Speed of Light
James Rosenquist
Print - 41 x 31 cm Print - 16.1 x 12.2 inch
€4,096
Échec à César (2/5)
Bernard Métranve
Sculpture - 31.5 x 18 x 18 cm Sculpture - 12.4 x 7.1 x 7.1 inch
€3,400
Le voyage de l'apprentissage
Christos Kalfas
Painting - 40 x 40 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 inch
€1,800
Happy Hours-20210319-2
Yaki Li
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch
€185
Dessine-moi le bonheur Edition
Sophie Petetin
Print - 30 x 40 x 0.5 cm Print - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch
€129
La couleur de mes rêves Edition
Sophie Petetin
Print - 30 x 40 x 0.5 cm Print - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch
€129
Dansez les pins parasols Edition
Sophie Petetin
Print - 40 x 40 x 1 cm Print - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
€129
La brouette / The wheelbarrow
Sylvie Gaudissart
Sculpture - 34.5 x 13 x 28 cm Sculpture - 13.6 x 5.1 x 11 inch
€2,800
Cosa fa un elefante qua
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 28 x 12 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11 x 4.7 x 0.1 inch
€140
Blue morning
Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska
Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
€455
Moglie di prestigiatore
Alexander Daniloff
Painting - 33 x 25 x 0.1 cm Painting - 13 x 9.8 x 0 inch
€150
Piments danse
Paul Wagner
Photography - 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch
€600 €540