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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Photography, Effluve 4, Charlotte Brunstein

Charlotte Brunstein

Photography . 49.51 x 42 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.5 x 16.5 x 0 inch

€990

Painting, For You!, Lee Yu Min

Lee Yu Min

Painting . 32 x 42 x 4 cm Painting . 12.6 x 16.5 x 1.6 inch

€380

Painting, Seul, Calat

Calat

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

€625

Sculpture, Petit 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

Design, Heads, Javier Calleja

Javier Calleja

Design . 30 x 12.9 x 12.6 cm Design . 11.8 x 5.1 x 5 inch

€4,550 €4,323

Painting, A Quiet Time 7., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Painting . 40.2 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting . 15.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€240

Painting, A Quiet Time 5., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Painting . 30.5 x 25.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12 x 10 x 0 inch

€180

Painting, A Quiet Time 4., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Painting . 30 x 25 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.8 x 0 inch

€180

Painting, Abstract geometrik, Tarek

Tarek

Painting . 38 x 46 x 2 cm Painting . 15 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

€550

Painting, Printemps 9, Qiong qiong Shao

Qiong qiong Shao

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

€1,400

Painting, Xiao hua 7, San Zi

San Zi

Painting . 32 x 28 x 1 cm Painting . 12.6 x 11 x 0.4 inch

€2,500

Painting, Clever Fox, Natalya Mougenot

Natalya Mougenot

Painting . 29 x 29 x 3.5 cm Painting . 11.4 x 11.4 x 1.4 inch

€450

Painting, Fin barreur, Alain Abramatic

Alain Abramatic

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

€1,060

Painting, Relax and money, Crys

Crys

Painting . 20 x 40 x 2.5 cm Painting . 7.9 x 15.7 x 1 inch

€120

Fine Art Drawings, Bremer Ansicht, Yulia Pugacheva

Yulia Pugacheva

Fine Art Drawings . 29 x 21 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.4 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€280

Painting, Brant Point, David Sipko

David Sipko

Painting . 27.9 x 35.6 x 2 cm Painting . 11 x 14 x 0.8 inch

€767

Painting, Subtlety II, Viktoria Ganhao

Viktoria Ganhao

Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€300

Painting, Falcon, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.1 inch

€343

Painting, Untitled, Pietro Beretta

Pietro Beretta

Painting . 32.5 x 24.5 x 0.2 cm Painting . 12.8 x 9.6 x 0.1 inch

€750

Painting, Untitled, Antonio de Vargas

Antonio de Vargas

Painting . 36 x 36 x 0.2 cm Painting . 14.2 x 14.2 x 0.1 inch

€750

Design, Link - Banc, Reda Amalou

Reda Amalou

Design . 43 x 42 x 43 cm Design . 16.9 x 16.5 x 16.9 inch

€2,280

Painting, Brooklyn, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Painting . 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch

€650

Painting, A Dog at Dusk, Kamo Atoyan

Kamo Atoyan

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

€271

Painting, If I were Belle, Irina Bast

Irina Bast

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

€515

Painting, A la nuit tombante, Calat

Calat

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

€625

Painting, The first ice, Boris Serdyuk

Boris Serdyuk

Painting . 33 x 43 x 2 cm Painting . 13 x 16.9 x 0.8 inch

€230

Painting, Winter Hill, Richard Szkutnik

Richard Szkutnik

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.5 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.2 inch

€1,399

Painting, Surf, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

Painting . 18.5 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 7.3 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€2,800

Painting, L'éveil, Emily Starck

Emily Starck

Painting . 27 x 46 x 1.9 cm Painting . 10.6 x 18.1 x 0.7 inch

€600

Painting, Automne (2), Qiong qiong Shao

Qiong qiong Shao

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

€1,000

Painting, Spacewalk XXI., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Painting . 42.4 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting . 16.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€180

Sculpture, Soyeux, Anne Millot

Anne Millot

Sculpture . 41 x 11 x 13 cm Sculpture . 16.1 x 4.3 x 5.1 inch

€1,000

Painting, Odessa beach, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

Painting . 20 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€2,730

Painting, Rocky shores, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

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

€3,200

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