Egg girl in green
Suthamma (Ta) Byrne
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,661
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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Personnages
Serge Pahnke
Fine Art Drawings - 28.5 x 39.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.2 x 15.6 x 0.1 inch
$889
Bouquet et livre
Alexandre Rochat
Painting - 35 x 27 x 2 cm Painting - 13.8 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch
$1,181
Trinité blue bubbles - Série Trinité - Portrait Pop art cubisme
Nathalie Paccalet dite Nathy
Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$380
Petit sentier en forêt
Alexis Louis Roche
Painting - 33 x 41 x 1.5 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.6 inch
$1,193
People Conversation
Chas Laborde
Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 20.3 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 8 x 0.1 inch
$771
Homage to Vincent
Marilyn Henrion
Painting - 40.6 x 30.5 x 2.5 cm Painting - 16 x 12 x 1 inch
$2,025
Village sous la neige
E. Perrenoud-Monnier
Painting - 28 x 44 x 0.5 cm Painting - 11 x 17.3 x 0.2 inch
$1,016
SAMOURAI Acteur de Kabuki
Utagawa Kunisada Toyokuni III
Print - 34 x 21 x 1 cm Print - 13.4 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch
$1,174
Cream rose on dark brown background
Elena Podmarkova
Painting - 30.5 x 30.5 x 2 cm Painting - 12 x 12 x 0.8 inch
$760
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Dian Georgiev
Sculpture - 27 x 21 x 7.5 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 8.3 x 3 inch
$1,602
Maison à la toiture rouge
Herbert Theurillat
Painting - 33 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch
$1,143
La vieillesse consolant la jeunesse 1987
Tiennick Kerrevel
Print - 32 x 22 x 0.2 cm Print - 12.6 x 8.7 x 0.1 inch
$700
Barques de pêcheurs et pêcheurs au port au clair de lune
Riccardo Colucci
Painting - 25 x 46 x 0.5 cm Painting - 9.8 x 18.1 x 0.2 inch
$2,361
Ruisseau de montagne
W. A. Hahn
Painting - 45 x 35 x 0.5 cm Painting - 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch
$1,358
Bouquet de roses
Paolo Alfio Graziani
Painting - 40 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
$1,105
A(A-Un)
Tomo Sakurai
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$712
Raz'ebala Vse Ebalo
Anna Bukhareva
Painting - 30.5 x 43.2 x 0.2 cm Painting - 12 x 17 x 0.1 inch
$1,898
Dame à l'éventail
Vittorio Gussoni
Painting - 50 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,957
Jeune fille au serre tête rouge et étude de nu
Emile-François Chambon
Painting - 46 x 36 x 0.5 cm Painting - 18.1 x 14.2 x 0.2 inch
$4,824
Journal d'un confiné - 4
André Cervera
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 inch
$332
Kampa do Rio Amônea Indigenous Territory, State of Acre, Brazil (M)
Sebastião Salgado
Photography - 50.8 x 40.6 cm Photography - 20 x 16 inch
$10,000
Madone avec enfants et angelot
Maurice Denis
Print - 35.5 x 26.5 x 0.2 cm Print - 14 x 10.4 x 0.1 inch
$635
Ohne Titel (2 Köpfe und Pflanzen)
Ulrike Michaelis
Painting - 31.5 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 12.4 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$1,068
Benjamin Franklin LV Violet and Tiffany Blue
Art Kristin
Sculpture - 33 x 22 x 21 cm Sculpture - 13 x 8.7 x 8.3 inch
$795
Comfort and Grace
Michael Rapoport
Painting - 50 x 34 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 13.4 x 1.2 inch
$3,500
Una olla de monstruos
Laura Leonicio
Painting - 35 x 21.5 x 0.01 cm Painting - 13.8 x 8.5 x 0 inch
$830
Think on your sins
Alexandre Granger
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$2,254
Vanité 2
Jean-Michel Lourenço
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$830
Spring on the Shore of the Aquamarine Ocean
Rusiko Chikvaidze
Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch
$1,780
The Crow
Helen Uter
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch
$593
Fragment Escultòric Petit Nº 9
Esteve Prat Paz
Sculpture - 15 x 30 x 20 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 11.8 x 7.9 inch
$356
Cadence
Bob Palmerton
Fine Art Drawings - 40.6 x 30.5 x 1.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16 x 12 x 0.5 inch
$620
Personnages VIII
Arancha Tejedor
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$190
Portrait de jeune fille
Emile-François Chambon
Fine Art Drawings - 34.5 x 24.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13.6 x 9.6 x 0.1 inch
$800
La légende du colibri rose dégradé
Marion Cros
Sculpture - 28 x 15 x 15 cm Sculpture - 11 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch
$2,254
You look at me sadly, Nevo 1
Nevelin Ivanov
Fine Art Drawings - 28 x 21 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch
$486
No Title, Coronus
Baurjan Aralov
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
$593
Parchemin rouge
Benjamin II Vautier
Painting - 41 x 33 x 0.5 cm Painting - 16.1 x 13 x 0.2 inch
$1,054
Diva
Jay Russell
Fine Art Drawings - 35.6 x 27.9 x 5.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 11 x 2 inch
$2,400
Portrait of Benito Mussolini
Alberto Manetti
Fine Art Drawings - 30.7 x 22 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.1 x 8.7 x 0.1 inch
$712
