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Shapes and sizes

Love comes in all shapes and sizes… So does art! It would be a terrible mistake to think that artworks are confined to a single standardised form. There is a tremendous amount of variety of formats within the visual arts, and scale in art is critical in defining the viewer's experience. Shape and size are crucial to the essence of an artwork, and they come to define its meaning and significance. Whether you are into outdoor sculptures and larger-than-life artworks or intrigued by diptychs, there is something to please everyone in our collection of themed selections focused on the diversity of contemporary art today.

There is no doubt that a large-scale painting impacts the viewer very differently to a small canvas. Particularly popular during the Renaissance, large-scale paintings have been around for a long time. Some of the most famous large-scale paintings in the history of art include works such as The Wedding at Cana by Italian artist Veronese. Of course, colossal canvases have also found their place in modern art, notably with the world-famous Guernica by Pablo Picasso. Whether for commemorating important historical events or denouncing injustices, large-scale canvases and artworks make a bold statement. Decorate your walls with Gao Brother's photographs of endless piles of books, or defy the laws of physics with Alexander Calder-inspired mobiles and stabiles by Paradox Créations.

If you don't have the space for one of our large artworks, then why not opt for small-scale artworks. The saying "the bigger, the better" doesn't apply to art; on the contrary, small-scale, or even miniature, artworks force you to pay even greater attention to detail. Artsper offers a wide selection of contemporary artists who are undertaking the challenges associated with producing small-scale works. Li Lihong's creates mesmerising life-size apple sculptures and Gaspard Mitz creates sculptures with miniature characters.

Diptychs and triptychs are also popular formats as an alternative to the usual single canvas. The definition of a diptychs is two flat panels that are attached at a hinge; like a book. Diptychs were used for religious purposes by Christians throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, often in the form of small portable works that could be opened and closed. In contemporary art, the definition of diptychs is broader and tends to refer to paintings, or photographs, where two separate parts hung side by side make up the work. The painting may be split into two distinct parts, or on the other hand, it may be one image split onto two surfaces. French photographer Solène Ballesta splits her mystical photographs of feminine characters into two. If a third panel is added to the piece, it is then called a triptych. Traditionally, especially in the case altarpieces, of triptychs would take the shape of one large panel in its centre and two smaller panels surrounding it on its side. Today, artists are experimenting with the idea of triptychs using original supports, like Jazzu's with skateboards.

Explore all our selections of contemporary artworks, big and small!