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, The happy goat, Dr. Love

Dr. Love

Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€50

Sculpture, Tweety II, Angela Gomes

Angela Gomes

Sculpture . 30 x 20 x 17 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 7.9 x 6.7 inch

€14,500

Fine Art Drawings, Nurse and dog, Ray Smith

Ray Smith

Fine Art Drawings . 27 x 37 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.6 x 14.6 x 0 inch

€1,100

Painting, Salon Il, Juan Li

Juan Li

Painting . 37 x 23 x 1 cm Painting . 14.6 x 9.1 x 0.4 inch

€650

Painting, S.t, Tonino Guerra

S.t

Tonino Guerra

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

€2,700

Sculpture, Chat Rose strass, Pali

Pali

Sculpture . 30 x 13 x 17 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 5.1 x 6.7 inch

€500

Painting, Accept, Iryna Rets

Iryna Rets

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

€570

Painting, Deux Oiseaux, Olivier Daumas

Olivier Daumas

Painting . 27 x 22 x 2 cm Painting . 10.6 x 8.7 x 0.8 inch

€500

Sculpture, La nasse, Pascal Billard

Pascal Billard

Sculpture . 40 x 23 x 10 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 9.1 x 3.9 inch

€1,280

Painting, Dolly rouge, Patrick Moya

Patrick Moya

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

€1,400

Painting, Rêve Bleu, Pascal Dabere

Pascal Dabere

Painting . 50 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

€900

Painting, Harold, Nef

Nef

Painting . 30 x 24 x 4 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 1.6 inch

€500

Sculpture, Elephant colors, Spaco

Spaco

Sculpture . 30 x 30 x 15 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 11.8 x 5.9 inch

€380

Painting, Corapx, Remix

Remix

Painting . 47 x 37 x 3 cm Painting . 18.5 x 14.6 x 1.2 inch

€590

Fine Art Drawings, Rabbit & Flowers, Minako Asakura

Minako Asakura

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 40 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Painting, Heron No. 9, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 38.1 x 27.9 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15 x 11 x 0.1 inch

€180

Painting, Heron No. 6, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 38.1 x 27.9 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15 x 11 x 0.1 inch

€180

Sculpture, P'tit Cha Cha Chat, Lolek

Lolek

Sculpture . 30.5 x 29.5 x 11 cm Sculpture . 12 x 11.6 x 4.3 inch

€3,200

Painting, Cats, Koa

Koa

Painting . 24 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€270

Fine Art Drawings, Barb - 07, Barberousse

Barberousse

Fine Art Drawings . 25 x 35 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.8 x 13.8 x 0.1 inch

€350

Painting, Call, Gregg Smith

Gregg Smith

Painting . 41 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€1,050

Sculpture, Equilibrium 1, David Natidze

David Natidze

Sculpture . 25 x 45 x 15 cm Sculpture . 9.8 x 17.7 x 5.9 inch

€5,400

Painting, Lightpackers, Gabrielle Rul

Gabrielle Rul

Painting . 32 x 24 x 1 cm Painting . 12.6 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

€450

Sculpture, Cha'zen, Lolek

Lolek

Sculpture . 47 x 37 x 39 cm Sculpture . 18.5 x 14.6 x 15.4 inch

€9,750

Painting, L'oiseau à poids, Loha

Loha

Painting . 29 x 21 x 1 cm Painting . 11.4 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€80

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