Brun skrik
Jean-François Bouron
Fine Art Drawings - 38 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
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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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Hvit skrik
Jean-François Bouron
Fine Art Drawings - 38 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
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5 minutes de discrétion
Jack Hironimus
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 41 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 16.1 inch
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Femlin with golf ball for playboy
LeRoy Neiman
Fine Art Drawings - 50.8 x 43.2 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 17 x 1 inch
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Marilyn Monroe. Petit déjeuner au lit (1953)
André de Dienes
Photography - 40 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
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La jeune Fille au voile / The Girl with a Veil
Alain Bonnefoit
Print - 50 x 35 cm Print - 19.7 x 13.8 inch
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Mon corps se souvient que fais-tu?
Barbara Lavenda
Painting - 28 x 21 cm Painting - 11 x 8.3 inch
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Pause Cigarette #2 Red Roses
Zapata
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
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Pause Cigarette #7 motifs chinois
Zapata
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
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Peinture Fraiche - Street Tease
Zapata
Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
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L'évasion de John J. Schwartz
Jack Hironimus
Fine Art Drawings - 41 x 32 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.1 x 12.6 inch
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Venus
Thierry Demure Di Nicola
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 24 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 9.4 x 1.2 inch
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Romantic lake. Askania Nova
Tetiana Shendryk
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€550
The paranoid likes to make people paranoid
Gérald Panighi
Fine Art Drawings - 27.5 x 27.5 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.8 x 10.8 x 0.1 inch
€800
Relief en bronze VIII
Max Ernst
Sculpture - 34.2 x 39.2 x 0.2 cm Sculpture - 13.5 x 15.4 x 0.1 inch
€8,000
Paisaje Invernal
Fanny Finkelman Szyller
Painting - 24.5 x 25.5 x 1.5 cm Painting - 9.6 x 10 x 0.6 inch
€728
Bill T. Jones
Robert Mapplethorpe
Photography - 50.2 x 40 x 0.3 cm Photography - 19.75 x 15.75 x 0.1 inch
€40,959
Jardin de curé
Gyslaine Pachet-Micheneau
Painting - 46 x 38 x 2 cm Painting - 18.1 x 15 x 0.8 inch
€580
CeraCera Gold - Pablo Savón x Alëxone Dizac
Alëxone
Sculpture - 40 x 30 x 3 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch
€1,450
Délia Fille de la Mer
Laurent Chimento
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€630
Nude #2, With My Eyes Closed
Tom Russell
Fine Art Drawings - 29.2 x 20.3 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.5 x 8 x 2 inch
€592
Who Are These Angels CXLIII
Naoko Paluszak
Painting - 40.6 x 30.5 x 3.8 cm Painting - 16 x 12 x 1.5 inch
€774
Binti mrembo (beautiful girl)
Mosoti Kepha
Sculpture - 48.5 x 31 x 2.5 cm Sculpture - 19.1 x 12.2 x 1 inch
€1,890
Débordement V
Romain Liverato
Photography - 45 x 30 x 0.3 cm Photography - 17.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
€600
Jardins villa Barbarigo (Série reflets)
Ellen Geerts
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
€700
19.6.17
Richard Caldicott
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 inch
€1,541
Some hard clouds looks soft
Eva Gomore
Sculpture - 16 x 35 x 20 cm Sculpture - 6.3 x 13.8 x 7.9 inch
€700
Enigma IV - scène de vie onirique inspiré du paysage d'Hourtin plage, presqu'île du Médoc
Ti Ban
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
€500
Surreal Cemetery
Ken Heyman
Photography - 27.9 x 35.6 x 1.3 cm Photography - 11 x 14 x 0.5 inch
€4,369