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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Print, Soviet, Jibé

Jibé

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

€100

Painting, Village, Adrien Holy

Adrien Holy

Painting . 26 x 46 x 0.3 cm Painting . 10.2 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch

€1,106

Print, Church, Giovanni Stradone

Giovanni Stradone

Print . 40 x 50 x 0.3 cm Print . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

€200

Photography, Grande rue, Bogdan Kotewicz

Bogdan Kotewicz

Photography . 50 x 40 x 0.3 cm Photography . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

€820

Print, Athènes, Yves Brayer

Yves Brayer

Print . 28.5 x 32 cm Print . 11.2 x 12.6 inch

€150

Painting, Cloudy Day, Eter Merkviladze

Eter Merkviladze

Painting . 40 x 30 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€750

Photography, Karaoke, Camille Levert

Camille Levert

Photography . 50 x 50 x 7 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 2.8 inch

€5,500

Painting, Birds, Rinalds Vanadzins

Rinalds Vanadzins

Painting . 49.8 x 39.9 x 1.8 cm Painting . 19.6 x 15.7 x 0.7 inch

€894

Fine Art Drawings, Theatrical Scene, Eugene Berman

Eugene Berman

Fine Art Drawings . 25 x 35 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.8 x 13.8 x 0 inch

€500

Painting, Venise, Vincent Pompetti

Vincent Pompetti

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

€1,100

Painting, Refectory church, Andrii G.

Andrii G.

Painting . 25 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€229

Painting, Andalucia, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Painting . 31 x 20.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12.2 x 8.1 x 0 inch

€90

Painting, Honfleur, Mike Hall

Mike Hall

Painting . 30 x 35 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch

€959

Painting, Italian town, Elena Sokolova

Elena Sokolova

Painting . 39.9 x 50 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€394

Painting, Corn at Night, Levon Fljyan

Levon Fljyan

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

€1,000

Photography, Horizon, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography . 26.7 x 35.6 x 0.1 cm Photography . 10.5 x 14 x 0 inch

€1,250

Painting, Disengaged, David Walker

David Walker

Painting . 39 x 39 x 0.2 cm Painting . 15.4 x 15.4 x 0.1 inch

€1,448

Sculpture, Varvara, Alexander Sviyazov

Alexander Sviyazov

Sculpture . 35 x 15 x 10 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 5.9 x 3.9 inch

€8,000

Painting, Morning Light, Mike Hall

Mike Hall

Painting . 30 x 35 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch

€959

Photography, #3, Julien Espiaut

#3

Julien Espiaut

Photography . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€190

Painting, Impasse des ateliers, Calat

Calat

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

€625

Fine Art Drawings, Wroclaw, Mariusz Szalajdewicz

Mariusz Szalajdewicz

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 32 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 12.6 inch

€200

Photography, Cityscapes I, Mark Elst

Mark Elst

Photography . 40 x 30 cm Photography . 15.7 x 11.8 inch

€350

Painting, L'avion, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Painting . 40.3 x 40.3 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.9 x 15.9 x 0.1 inch

€700