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, In my Dream, Park Hyo Jung

Park Hyo Jung

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

€1,100

Fine Art Drawings, N°81 - Untitled, Alicia Lasne

Alicia Lasne

Fine Art Drawings . 28 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11 x 16.5 x 0 inch

€300

Painting, Untitled, Shadi Abou Sada

Shadi Abou Sada

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

€1,000

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Aditi Lago

Aditi Lago

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€1,000

Painting, Petit Pot, Delphine Hogarth

Delphine Hogarth

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

€2,067

Sculpture, Flower, Milko Dobrev

Milko Dobrev

Sculpture . 29 x 17.5 x 6 cm Sculpture . 11.4 x 6.9 x 2.4 inch

€1,250

Photography, 1/The magician, Emma Anna

Emma Anna

Photography . 39.4 x 26.7 x 0.3 cm Photography . 15.5 x 10.5 x 0.1 inch

€814

Sculpture, Attirance, Franck Turzo

Franck Turzo

Sculpture . 45 x 25 x 20 cm Sculpture . 17.7 x 9.8 x 7.9 inch

€2,800

Painting, Applikation, Andrea Lein

Andrea Lein

Painting . 25 x 32.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 9.8 x 12.8 x 0 inch

€1,100

Sculpture, Doggy John, Julien Marinetti

Julien Marinetti

Sculpture . 37 x 40 x 28 cm Sculpture . 14.6 x 15.7 x 11 inch

€16,000

Painting, Composition, Roberto Crippa

Roberto Crippa

Painting . 46 x 46 x 0.2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch

€6,400

Painting, En 4, VHE

VHE

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

€250 €225

Painting, Landscape, Martine Elhaik

Martine Elhaik

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

€250

Painting, Colors, Bernard Saint-Maxent

Bernard Saint-Maxent

Painting . 39 x 41 x 3 cm Painting . 15.4 x 16.1 x 1.2 inch

€350

Sculpture, Family, Milko Dobrev

Milko Dobrev

Sculpture . 31 x 16 x 7 cm Sculpture . 12.2 x 6.3 x 2.8 inch

€1,350

Photography, Flying, Victoire d'Harcourt

Victoire d'Harcourt

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

€1,200

Painting, Les mots, Soraya Dagman

Soraya Dagman

Painting . 30 x 30 x 5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 2 inch

€3,400

Fine Art Drawings, Géométrique, John Reitz

John Reitz

Fine Art Drawings . 31.5 x 38.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.4 x 15.2 x 0.1 inch

€1,135

Fine Art Drawings, Daily bread, Salamandra

Salamandra

Fine Art Drawings . 33 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 13 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€800

Fine Art Drawings, Femme feuille, Michèle Coudert

Michèle Coudert

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€400

Sculpture, Spirit, Zlatin Orlov

Zlatin Orlov

Sculpture . 35.5 x 25 x 15 cm Sculpture . 14 x 9.8 x 5.9 inch

€2,150

Painting, Re-Garder, Remi Delaplace

Remi Delaplace

Painting . 24.5 x 29 x 2 cm Painting . 9.6 x 11.4 x 0.8 inch

€950

Painting, Untitled, Shadi Abou Sada

Shadi Abou Sada

Painting . 30 x 38 x 3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 15 x 1.2 inch

€1,000

Painting, Fashion Authority, Jagger66

Jagger66

Painting . 41 x 32 x 1.5 cm Painting . 16.1 x 12.6 x 0.6 inch

€374

Sculpture, Scrap Bird IV, ByLuka

ByLuka

Sculpture . 35 x 45 x 20 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 17.7 x 7.9 inch

€1,180

Sculpture, Tambor, Fabio Santori

Fabio Santori

Sculpture . 33 x 15.5 x 63 cm Sculpture . 13 x 6.1 x 24.8 inch

€1,200

Sculpture, Bolero, Gegham Begjanyan

Gegham Begjanyan

Sculpture . 18 x 29 x 37 cm Sculpture . 7.1 x 11.4 x 14.6 inch

€2,712

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

Sculpture, Balance, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 27 x 16 x 19 cm Sculpture . 10.6 x 6.3 x 7.5 inch

€440