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, 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, Triste, Shank Arte

Shank Arte

Painting . 48 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 18.9 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,160

Painting, The Fall, PK VH

PK VH

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€4,200

Print, Store House, Karl Lagasse

Karl Lagasse

Print . 46 x 32 x 0.2 cm Print . 18.1 x 12.6 x 0.1 inch

€1,290

Sculpture, One dollar Malko, Karl Lagasse

Karl Lagasse

Sculpture . 38.5 x 16.5 x 0.2 cm Sculpture . 15.2 x 6.5 x 0.1 inch

€2,150

Print, Apollo, Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse

Print . 33 x 43 cm Print . 13 x 16.9 inch

€439

Painting, Captain America, Onemizer

Onemizer

Painting . 35 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€1,850

Sculpture, Atlas, Aniana Heras

Aniana Heras

Sculpture . 34.8 x 21.8 x 14 cm Sculpture . 13.7 x 8.6 x 5.5 inch

€1,230

Fine Art Drawings, La sieste sous les arbres, Jéko

Jéko

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 42 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 16.5 x 0.1 inch

€830

Sculpture, Heart CD tribute, ARTBYNAOR

ARTBYNAOR

Sculpture . 30 x 15 x 15 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch

€1,330

Painting, Hair, Maka Batiashvili

Maka Batiashvili

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

€5,000

Painting, Spore, Martina Nehrling

Martina Nehrling

Painting . 36.8 x 36.8 x 0.1 cm Painting . 14.5 x 14.5 x 0 inch

€1,265

Painting, Vestige, Laurens Heurtebise

Laurens Heurtebise

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

€1,700

Painting, Creatività, Matteo Milli

Matteo Milli

Painting . 35 x 50 x 1 cm Painting . 13.8 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€280

Painting, Lotus 21, Jun Peng Wu

Jun Peng Wu

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€880

Painting, The Blue Captain, Ara Gasparyan

Ara Gasparyan

Painting . 35 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

€287 €244

Painting, Tiepida, Luigi Iona

Luigi Iona

Painting . 30.4 x 23 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12 x 9.1 x 0 inch

€85

Painting, Derive, César Deslandes

César Deslandes

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

€850

Painting, Vie d'atelier, Sophie Dumont

Sophie Dumont

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

€1,690

Painting, Les mots bleus, Sophie Dumont

Sophie Dumont

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

€1,750

Painting, Mario et Luigi, Fat

Fat

Painting . 46 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€1,300

Painting, Voyager, Mike Ellis

Mike Ellis

Painting . 50 x 50 x 5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

€1,445

Painting, Tondo 1, Johanna Lisa

Johanna Lisa

Painting . 40 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€400

Sculpture, Wave Pearl Periwinkle, KX2

KX2

Sculpture . 27 x 27 x 9 cm Sculpture . 10.6 x 10.6 x 3.5 inch

€1,600

Painting, Best wishes, Shiori Nakano

Shiori Nakano

Painting . 23 x 30.5 x 0.2 cm Painting . 9.1 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€300

Print, Crooner, Willem

Willem

Print . 33 x 33 x 3 cm Print . 13 x 13 x 1.2 inch

€450

Painting, Untitled, Joseph Lucky Karma

Joseph Lucky Karma

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

€500

Fine Art Drawings, Star strangled banner, Almo

Almo

Fine Art Drawings . 34.8 x 24.9 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 13.7 x 9.8 x 0.1 inch

€718

Painting, Nei ricordi, Sara Montani

Sara Montani

Painting . 25.5 x 25.5 x 2 cm Painting . 10 x 10 x 0.8 inch

€1,700

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