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, Ah ! Those shoes, Pol Ledent

Pol Ledent

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

€600

Painting, Pop vs Lydi N°19/20, Lydi

Lydi

Painting . 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€190

Painting, Pop vs Lydi N°18/20, Lydi

Lydi

Painting . 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€190

Painting, Pop vs Lydi N°14/20, Lydi

Lydi

Painting . 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€190

Painting, Cradle of Light, Liana Asatryan

Liana Asatryan

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

€547 €438

Painting, Café de Paris, David Jamin

David Jamin

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

€1,200

Painting, The Pool, Irfan Ajvazi

Irfan Ajvazi

Painting . 31 x 31 x 1 cm Painting . 12.2 x 12.2 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Painting, Summer Day, Alexander Levich

Alexander Levich

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

€980

Painting, Rivage, Jean-Pierre Lorand

Jean-Pierre Lorand

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

€1,700

Painting, Village, Sergiy A.

Sergiy A.

Painting . 26 x 37 x 2 cm Painting . 10.2 x 14.6 x 0.8 inch

€255

Painting, L'avion, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Painting . 40.3 x 40.3 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.9 x 15.9 x 0.1 inch

€700

Painting, Interior, Giner Bueno

Giner Bueno

Painting . 18 x 29 x 3 cm Painting . 7.1 x 11.4 x 1.2 inch

€950

Painting, Moment of Friendship, Leo Ray

Leo Ray

Painting . 32 x 41 x 0.5 cm Painting . 12.6 x 16.1 x 0.2 inch

€410

Photography, Headstand, Ken Heyman

Ken Heyman

Photography . 27.9 x 35.6 x 1.3 cm Photography . 11 x 14 x 0.5 inch

€4,376

Photography, Saudade, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

Photography . 40 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€719

Fine Art Drawings, Château, Hermann Paul

Hermann Paul

Fine Art Drawings . 32 x 25.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.6 x 10 x 0.1 inch

€400

Sculpture, Jubilation, Nnamdi Okonkwo

Nnamdi Okonkwo

Sculpture . 17.8 x 30.5 x 45.7 cm Sculpture . 7 x 12 x 18 inch

€7,748

Painting, Men, Marian Williams

Men

Marian Williams

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

€475

Fine Art Drawings, Weightless, Marina Lukianova

Marina Lukianova

Fine Art Drawings . 32 x 32 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.6 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€820

Photography, La Muse, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography . 35.5 x 23.7 x 0.1 cm Photography . 14 x 9.3 x 0 inch

€995

Fine Art Drawings, A company, Anna Wardega

Anna Wardega

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 30 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 11.8 inch

€200

Painting, Lost, Tetiana Chubukova

Tetiana Chubukova

Painting . 41 x 33 x 3.5 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 1.4 inch

€1,275

Painting, Toi et Moi, Marcos Zrihen

Marcos Zrihen

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

€110

Painting, Rajasthan, Raymond Poulet

Raymond Poulet

Painting . 35 x 27 x 2 cm Painting . 13.8 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€3,500

Photography, Children in Boat, Ken Heyman

Ken Heyman

Photography . 27.9 x 35.6 x 1.3 cm Photography . 11 x 14 x 0.5 inch

€4,376

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