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, M. Jackson Dangerous, Spaco

Spaco

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

€170

Painting, Rolex colors, Spaco

Spaco

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

€200

Sculpture, Fugida, Ferran Cartes Yerro

Ferran Cartes Yerro

Sculpture . 35 x 35 x 6 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 13.8 x 2.4 inch

€550

Painting, Les innocents, Hervé Maury

Hervé Maury

Painting . 40 x 20 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 7.9 x 1.2 inch

€420

Painting, Quiet Evening, Nataliia Loza

Nataliia Loza

Painting . 27 x 35 x 1.5 cm Painting . 10.6 x 13.8 x 0.6 inch

€248

Painting, Soup, Géraldine G.

Géraldine G.

Painting . 28.5 x 20 x 1 cm Painting . 11.2 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

€180

Painting, Matous, Laurent Messager

Laurent Messager

Painting . 30 x 20 x 3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 7.9 x 1.2 inch

€340

Painting, Motifation #3, Koa

Koa

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

€310 €279

Painting, Symphonie, Yannick Bernard

Yannick Bernard

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

€540

Painting, The Skull Basquiat, Spaco

Spaco

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

€180

Painting, Fate, Christian Valentine

Christian Valentine

Painting . 50.8 x 25.4 x 2 cm Painting . 20 x 10 x 0.8 inch

€211

Painting, Red Coco, Alessandra Bisi

Alessandra Bisi

Painting . 21 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting . 8.3 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€130

Fine Art Drawings, Perspectival study, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

Fine Art Drawings . 24 x 33 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.4 x 13 x 0 inch

€110

Design, Plateau 261, Olivier Ebel

Olivier Ebel

Design . 44 x 43 x 1 cm Design . 17.3 x 16.9 x 0.4 inch

€350

Painting, L’été N°11, Eric Munsch

Eric Munsch

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

€590

Photography, City Range #50, Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

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

€320

Painting, For Misty, Michael Grine

Michael Grine

Painting . 33.7 x 23.5 x 1.3 cm Painting . 13.25 x 9.25 x 0.5 inch

€366

Sculpture, ROCK-IT 33, Karim Rashid

Karim Rashid

Sculpture . 33 x 17 x 10 cm Sculpture . 13 x 6.7 x 3.9 inch

€450

Painting, Freddie Mercury, PyB

PyB

Painting . 45 x 38 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 15 x 0.8 inch

€300

Painting, Frida Kahlo, Spaco

Spaco

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

€200

Painting, December, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

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

€394

Print, Layerform #6, Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Print . 33.3 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print . 13.1 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€320

Print, Concept #87, Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Print . 50 x 33.3 x 0.1 cm Print . 19.7 x 13.1 x 0 inch

€130

Print, Concept #73, Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Print . 50 x 33.3 x 0.1 cm Print . 19.7 x 13.1 x 0 inch

€130

Painting, Abyss, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

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

€256

Photography, #3, Romane Grammond

#3

Romane Grammond

Photography . 30 x 22.5 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 8.9 x 0 inch

€150

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

Print, Graphito, Jacob Diboum

Jacob Diboum

Print . 34 x 24 x 0.1 cm Print . 13.4 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€150

Painting, Standstill, Ksenia Tsyganyuk

Ksenia Tsyganyuk

Painting . 40 x 35 x 1.5 cm Painting . 15.7 x 13.8 x 0.6 inch

€580

Print, Art, Pieter Ceizer

Art

Pieter Ceizer

Print . 30 x 30 cm Print . 11.8 x 11.8 inch

€145

Painting, Les soirs roux, Pol Ledent

Pol Ledent

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

€400

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