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, Sans titre, Jo Niemeyer

Jo Niemeyer

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

€500

Photography, Ascension, Bilal Aouffen

Bilal Aouffen

Photography . 45 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography . 17.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€1,400

Painting, Annabella, Tolooie Shahab

Tolooie Shahab

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

€240

Painting, Landscape, Mario Asnago

Mario Asnago

Painting . 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€2,200

Painting, Joy, Dave Towers

Joy

Dave Towers

Painting . 29.7 x 42 cm Painting . 11.7 x 16.5 inch

€300

Painting, Surfacing, Karaya

Karaya

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

€2,100

Painting, Composition, Joseph Lacasse

Joseph Lacasse

Painting . 37 x 24.5 x 0.5 cm Painting . 14.6 x 9.6 x 0.2 inch

€3,200

Painting, 18C7, Yang Youpeng

Yang Youpeng

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

€2,708

Painting, Habano, Seaty

Seaty

Painting . 39 x 23 x 4 cm Painting . 15.4 x 9.1 x 1.6 inch

€4,400

Painting, Rebirth, Rosa Cruz

Rosa Cruz

Painting . 30 x 22 x 0.3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.7 x 0.1 inch

€600

Sculpture, Abstraction Orange, Costa

Costa

Sculpture . 30 x 40 x 4 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

€1,600

Fine Art Drawings, Cheese bell (4), Yulia Pugacheva

Yulia Pugacheva

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

€280

Print, L'orage, Hugo Caddous

Hugo Caddous

Print . 42 x 29.7 cm Print . 16.5 x 11.7 inch

€90

Fine Art Drawings, Queen 12346, Kim Soo Young

Kim Soo Young

Fine Art Drawings . 38 x 38 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15 x 15 x 1.2 inch

€1,200

Painting, Evening Run, James Gordaneer

James Gordaneer

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 2 inch

€3,159

Painting, Sans titre, Esmaël Bahrani

Esmaël Bahrani

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

€1,100

Painting, UP23_70, Matt Neuman

Matt Neuman

Painting . 28 x 28 x 2 cm Painting . 11 x 11 x 0.8 inch

€2,100

Print, Sans titre, Momies

Momies

Print . 21 x 29.5 x 0.1 cm Print . 8.3 x 11.6 x 0 inch

€90

Print, Sans titre 3, Antonio Asis

Antonio Asis

Print . 50 x 49.5 x 0.02 cm Print . 19.7 x 19.5 x 0 inch

€1,200

Painting, mainstream, Salvatore Alessi

Salvatore Alessi

Painting . 50 x 40 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

€1,900

Painting, Funny, MAM

MAM

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

€300

Painting, Vermeer Dollar, Su Yu

Su Yu

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

€1,200

Painting, Infinite Space 3, Ygllggel

Ygllggel

Painting . 32 x 31 x 3 cm Painting . 12.6 x 12.2 x 1.2 inch

€1,350

Sculpture, Fire, Jérémy Ferreira

Jérémy Ferreira

Sculpture . 50 x 10 x 10 cm Sculpture . 19.7 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch

€1,500

Painting, Oryx, Irina Sazonova

Irina Sazonova

Painting . 40 x 40 x 3.5 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.4 inch

€903

Sculpture, Mr Iris, Yevgen Prymachenko

Yevgen Prymachenko

Sculpture . 40 x 30 x 20 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inch

€1,354

Painting, Sans Titre, Laurent HDBX

Laurent HDBX

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

€1,250

Painting, Summer afternoon, Ewa Dura

Ewa Dura

Painting . 30 x 21 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€1,600

Sculpture, 63, Goga Gomareli

63

Goga Gomareli

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

€17,000

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