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…

Read more
Sculpture, Ricard bear, Frany La Chipie

Frany La Chipie

Sculpture . 33 x 20 x 12 cm Sculpture . 13 x 7.9 x 4.7 inch

€810

Painting, Little mermaid, Penguino

Penguino

Painting . 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Sculpture, Pez Plateado, Miquel Aparici

Miquel Aparici

Sculpture . 26 x 10 x 27 cm Sculpture . 10.2 x 3.9 x 10.6 inch

€1,270

Painting, Shaowlin Owlin, Nite Owl

Nite Owl

Painting . 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Fine Art Drawings, The Poem of Love, Kirill Postovit

Kirill Postovit

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€699

Painting, Being Togther, Su Bin Lim

Su Bin Lim

Painting . 27.3 x 34.8 x 3 cm Painting . 10.7 x 13.7 x 1.2 inch

€1,100

Sculpture, Cavalo, Jean Paul Kala

Jean Paul Kala

Sculpture . 28 x 13 x 42 cm Sculpture . 11 x 5.1 x 16.5 inch

€8,000

Painting, Hippopotamus, Giorgi Melikidze

Giorgi Melikidze

Painting . 40.2 x 40.2 x 2 cm Painting . 15.8 x 15.8 x 0.8 inch

€1,500

Sculpture, Lamb, Barry Davies

Barry Davies

Sculpture . 20 x 36 x 23 cm Sculpture . 7.9 x 14.2 x 9.1 inch

€3,803

Painting, Crabes, Victoria Stagni

Victoria Stagni

Painting . 50 x 50 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch

€1,250

Fine Art Drawings, Barb - 08, Barberousse

Barberousse

Fine Art Drawings . 24.5 x 32.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.6 x 12.8 x 0.1 inch

€350

Sculpture, Envol V, Pierre Yermia

Pierre Yermia

Sculpture . 37 x 33 x 26 cm Sculpture . 14.6 x 13 x 10.2 inch

€3,000

Painting, Sans, Molo Molo

Molo Molo

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

€1,600

Painting, Le Hibou, Katia Kameli

Katia Kameli

Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€4,000

Painting, The Pair, Abgar Khachatryan

Abgar Khachatryan

Painting . 30 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

€269

Painting, Rope Swin, Su Yu

Su Yu

Painting . 35 x 48 x 3 cm Painting . 13.8 x 18.9 x 1.2 inch

€900

Painting, Abstract #48, Pinar Akbaba

Pinar Akbaba

Painting . 40.6 x 40.6 x 2.5 cm Painting . 16 x 16 x 1 inch

€359

Painting, Dream, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Painting . 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€1,120

Painting, Warmth, Avtandil Modebadze

Avtandil Modebadze

Painting . 45 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€900

Painting, Shhhhhhhh, Akio Harada

Akio Harada

Painting . 30.5 x 30.5 x 3.8 cm Painting . 12 x 12 x 1.5 inch

€1,200

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Gerard Sala

Gerard Sala

Fine Art Drawings . 45 x 32.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 17.7 x 12.8 inch

€1,300

Sculpture, Is It Mine, Wenqin Chen

Wenqin Chen

Sculpture . 38 x 41 x 37 cm Sculpture . 15 x 16.1 x 14.6 inch

€6,200

Sculpture, Leaping Panther, Arun A.

Arun A.

Sculpture . 42 x 22 x 26 cm Sculpture . 16.5 x 8.7 x 10.2 inch

€750

Painting, Miss Antarctica, Penguino

Penguino

Painting . 30.5 x 20.3 x 0.3 cm Painting . 12 x 8 x 0.1 inch

€800

Print, Colonel Moutarde, C215

C215

Print . 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€390

Painting, Follow the heart, BB.Queen

BB.Queen

Painting . 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€1,200

Painting, Doudou Dino, Violette

Violette

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€200 €180

Sculpture, Lionne, Jean Lemonnier

Jean Lemonnier

Sculpture . 17 x 47 x 23 cm Sculpture . 6.7 x 18.5 x 9.1 inch

€6,000

Sculpture, Ourson 1, Dasz Panda

Dasz Panda

Sculpture . 26 x 6 x 6 cm Sculpture . 10.2 x 2.4 x 2.4 inch

€300

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Joan Albert

Joan Albert

Fine Art Drawings . 44 x 47 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 17.3 x 18.5 x 0 inch

€600

Sculpture, Streetcat, Sylvie Cappe

Sylvie Cappe

Sculpture . 35 x 9 x 10 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 3.5 x 3.9 inch

€220

Sculpture, Scrap Bird II, ByLuka

ByLuka

Sculpture . 35 x 25 x 15 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 9.8 x 5.9 inch

€1,180

Painting, Lutte animale, Denis Miau

Denis Miau

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

€1,200

Painting, Jean Paul Cha, Chanoir

Chanoir

Painting . 50 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€3,000

Painting, Midday dreams, Galia Chuntova

Galia Chuntova

Painting . 50 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€1,250

Print, Raven's Pueblo, Tom Russell

Tom Russell

Print . 30.5 x 24.1 x 5.1 cm Print . 12 x 9.5 x 2 inch

€673

Painting, Volant, Mike Ellis

Mike Ellis

Painting . 50 x 50 x 5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

€1,449

Painting, Assimilation, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Painting . 20 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 7.9 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€850

Painting, Ballerina, Penguino

Penguino

Painting . 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Sans titre, Ceet Fouad

Ceet Fouad

Painting . 48 x 39 x 0.3 cm Painting . 18.9 x 15.4 x 0.1 inch

€1,600

17/50