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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Fine Art Drawings, Fallen Angel, Raluca Arnautu

Raluca Arnautu

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

€700

Sculpture, Lunar Tide, Liza Altman

Liza Altman

Sculpture . 35.8 x 35.8 x 5.3 cm Sculpture . 14.1 x 14.1 x 2.1 inch

€1,988

Painting, Les joyeux Bonhom'bidules, VHE

VHE

Painting . 30 x 24 x 3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 1.2 inch

€75 €68

Painting, L'escalier, Merljn

Merljn

Painting . 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

€750

Photography, Quiet The Night, Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€2,400

Sculpture, Wonder, Mehnoush Modonpour

Mehnoush Modonpour

Sculpture . 50 x 48 x 48 cm Sculpture . 19.7 x 18.9 x 18.9 inch

€3,700

Painting, L'Amore, Alexander Daniloff

Alexander Daniloff

Painting . 40 x 28 x 0.1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11 x 0 inch

€280

Photography, Training day, Samsofy

Samsofy

Photography . 24 x 36 x 1 cm Photography . 9.4 x 14.2 x 0.4 inch

€60

Sculpture, Dark Wave, Nando

Nando

Sculpture . 36 x 26 x 10 cm Sculpture . 14.2 x 10.2 x 3.9 inch

€2,807

Sculpture, Together, Irakli Tsuladze

Irakli Tsuladze

Sculpture . 33 x 26 x 11 cm Sculpture . 13 x 10.2 x 4.3 inch

€2,700

Sculpture, Pierre de Rêve XLIX, Anany

Anany

Sculpture . 36 x 27 x 0.3 cm Sculpture . 14.2 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch

€1,400

Sculpture, Cusi, Coha

Coha

Sculpture . 39.5 x 19.9 x 9.8 cm Sculpture . 15.6 x 7.8 x 3.9 inch

€6,500

Sculpture, A tree, Liutauras Grieze

Liutauras Grieze

Sculpture . 20 x 28 x 28 cm Sculpture . 7.9 x 11 x 11 inch

€1,900

Photography, Speck, Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€2,400

Print, Art is hard, Ken Kagami

Ken Kagami

Print . 46 x 33 x 0.05 cm Print . 18.1 x 13 x 0 inch

€150

Print, Art, Masanao Hirayama

Art

Masanao Hirayama

Print . 40 x 50 x 0.01 cm Print . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€150

Print, Art Dollar 38, Karl Lagasse

Karl Lagasse

Print . 44.9 x 29.9 x 1.9 cm Print . 17.7 x 11.8 x 0.7 inch

€640

Painting, White bird, Natalie Shiporina

Natalie Shiporina

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

€1,496

Sculpture, Le baiser, Martial Mandin

Martial Mandin

Sculpture . 28 x 21 x 2.5 cm Sculpture . 11 x 8.3 x 1 inch

€490

Sculpture, Tides, Nando

Nando

Sculpture . 42 x 42 x 4 cm Sculpture . 16.5 x 16.5 x 1.6 inch

€3,494

Painting, Down the Path, Moira Hazel

Moira Hazel

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

€988

Photography, El guia, Rocio Villanueva

Rocio Villanueva

Photography . 40.64 x 40.64 cm Photography . 16 x 16 inch

€1,150

Sculpture, Shiko 3, Kojun

Kojun

Sculpture . 28 x 28 x 13 cm Sculpture . 11 x 11 x 5.1 inch

€1,900

Painting, Claim 191, Mark Hellbusch

Mark Hellbusch

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

€450

Sculpture, One dollar, Karl Lagasse

Karl Lagasse

Sculpture . 21 x 50 x 1 cm Sculpture . 8.3 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€1,900

Photography, We Are Infinite, Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€2,400

Painting, Gestalt 6, Remi Delaplace

Remi Delaplace

Painting . 43 x 43 x 3 cm Painting . 16.9 x 16.9 x 1.2 inch

€1,190

Painting, Lisa, Marian Williams

Marian Williams

Painting . 30 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

€198

Painting, Mona, Marian Williams

Marian Williams

Painting . 30 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

€198

Sculpture, Love  Notes, Irakli Tsuladze

Irakli Tsuladze

Sculpture . 43 x 27 x 14 cm Sculpture . 16.9 x 10.6 x 5.5 inch

€2,600

Sculpture, Compagnons 4, Qihui Huang

Qihui Huang

Sculpture . 26 x 16 x 14 cm Sculpture . 10.2 x 6.3 x 5.5 inch

€600