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, Le Brun, Robert Combas

Robert Combas

Painting . 33 x 24 x 7 cm Painting . 13 x 9.4 x 2.8 inch

€16,000

Print, Colonel Moutarde, C215

C215

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

€390

Print, Square Jace, Jace

Jace

Print . 26 x 46 x 1 cm Print . 10.2 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch

€900

Painting, Bouquet, Taro Takikawa

Taro Takikawa

Painting . 35 x 20.5 x 2 cm Painting . 13.8 x 8.1 x 0.8 inch

€1,360

Painting, Horus, André Bielen

André Bielen

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

€1,900

Print, Okonkwo, Caroline Chinakwe

Caroline Chinakwe

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

€9,119

Design, Jaws Wenge, Coarse

Coarse

Design . 46 x 13 x 36 cm Design . 18.1 x 5.1 x 14.2 inch

€12,000

Painting, Grow Up, Angelo Pioppo

Angelo Pioppo

Painting . 50 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

€900

Sculpture, HHOP, Guoyi Liu

Guoyi Liu

Sculpture . 40 x 15 x 12 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 5.9 x 4.7 inch

€950

Painting, Tui, Irina Sazonova

Tui

Irina Sazonova

Painting . 50 x 50 x 3.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.4 inch

€1,365

Sculpture, Waiting to Exhale, Arman

Arman

Sculpture . 40.6 x 22.9 x 7 cm Sculpture . 16 x 9 x 2.75 inch

€8,648

Painting, Padua, August Von Siegen

August Von Siegen

Painting . 18.8 x 28.8 x 2 cm Painting . 7.4 x 11.3 x 0.8 inch

€1,031

Painting, La Dolce, Richard Poumelin

Richard Poumelin

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

€1,150

Sculpture, Geometric 01, Simone De Rosa

Simone De Rosa

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

€280

Print, Legacy, Mathieu Questel

Mathieu Questel

Print . 40 x 30 x 1 cm Print . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€250

Painting, Untitled, Dora Maar

Dora Maar

Painting . 21 x 27 x 2 cm Painting . 8.3 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€3,500

Painting, Portrait 1, Christophe Hohler

Christophe Hohler

Painting . 30 x 30 x 8 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 3.1 inch

€2,000

Sculpture, Giano, Massimiliano Pelletti

Massimiliano Pelletti

Sculpture . 40 x 20 x 34 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 7.9 x 13.4 inch

€42,000

Painting, Ualquindedocs, Maria Perello

Maria Perello

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

€1,980

Sculpture, Tornem-hi III, Teresa Riba

Teresa Riba

Sculpture . 40 x 20 x 17 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 7.9 x 6.7 inch

€3,600

Painting, Two selves, Winifred Otowa

Winifred Otowa

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 1.5 inch

€1,092

Print, Together, Brian Calvin

Brian Calvin

Print . 50 x 41.7 x 1.25 cm Print . 19.7 x 16.4 x 0.5 inch

€2,276

Sculpture, Sans titre, Mélanie Bourget

Mélanie Bourget

Sculpture . 34 x 36 x 24 cm Sculpture . 13.4 x 14.2 x 9.4 inch

€2,500 €2,250

Fine Art Drawings, Green Prince, CJ Pyle

CJ Pyle

Fine Art Drawings . 26 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.2 x 7.9 x 0 inch

€1,400

Sculpture, Emotion, Teimuraz Sarishvili

Teimuraz Sarishvili

Sculpture . 45 x 18.5 x 7 cm Sculpture . 17.7 x 7.3 x 2.8 inch

€5,000

Painting, Venice, Lusie Schellenberg

Lusie Schellenberg

Painting . 35 x 45 x 1 cm Painting . 13.8 x 17.7 x 0.4 inch

€900

Painting, Sans titre, Jean Rustin

Jean Rustin

Painting . 41 x 27 x 2 cm Painting . 16.1 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€11,000

Painting, Figures, Sergio Barletta

Sergio Barletta

Painting . 25 x 33 x 0.2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 13 x 0.1 inch

€880

Sculpture, Bandido, Max Johansson

Max Johansson

Sculpture . 40 x 38 x 15 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 15 x 5.9 inch

€995

Sculpture, Scie-lames, Patopalomo

Patopalomo

Sculpture . 37 x 33 x 50 cm Sculpture . 14.6 x 13 x 19.7 inch

€900

Sculpture, Spash chocolat, Maxwell

Maxwell

Sculpture . 26 x 24 x 21 cm Sculpture . 10.2 x 9.4 x 8.3 inch

€2,100

Painting, NotWithstanding, Kris Haas

Kris Haas

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 2 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.8 inch

€924

Sculpture, Skyhill No.14, Missak Terzian

Missak Terzian

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

€5,500

Sculpture, L’Avenir, Fanjol

Fanjol

Sculpture . 40 x 14 x 10 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 5.5 x 3.9 inch

€4,600