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, Tondo 2, Johanna Lisa

Johanna Lisa

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

€400

Fine Art Drawings, Printemps, Maksim Lopez

Maksim Lopez

Fine Art Drawings . 37 x 27 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 14.6 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

€500

Painting, Fleurs 4, Claire Fournier

Claire Fournier

Painting . 49 x 49 x 1 cm Painting . 19.3 x 19.3 x 0.4 inch

€450

Painting, Wisteria, Lauren Acton

Lauren Acton

Painting . 35.6 x 35.6 x 5.1 cm Painting . 14 x 14 x 2 inch

€1,413

Painting, Flowery Love, Rose

Rose

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

€300

Sculpture, Light Tree, Emma Levine

Emma Levine

Sculpture . 45 x 45 x 5 cm Sculpture . 17.7 x 17.7 x 2 inch

€2,539

Fine Art Drawings, Leaves, Aurelio Mistruzzi

Aurelio Mistruzzi

Fine Art Drawings . 48 x 35 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 18.9 x 13.8 x 0.1 inch

€300

Painting, Lungomare, Silvia Rossi

Silvia Rossi

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

€900

Painting, Morning, Yaroslav Savchyn

Yaroslav Savchyn

Painting . 25 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€255

Painting, Uva e pesche, Laura Mateare

Laura Mateare

Painting . 40.5 x 30 x 2.7 cm Painting . 15.9 x 11.8 x 1.1 inch

€1,200

Painting, Homeland, Rolanda Jongerius

Rolanda Jongerius

Painting . 30 x 21 x 3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.3 x 1.2 inch

€1,000

Painting, Muscaris, Pol Ledent

Pol Ledent

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

€600

Painting, A flower, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Painting . 30 x 20 x 0.4 cm Painting . 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch

€500

Painting, Fleurs, Kaige Yang

Kaige Yang

Painting . 33 x 33 x 1 cm Painting . 13 x 13 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Painting, Schnittblumen 02, Low Bros

Low Bros

Painting . 50 x 40 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

€3,200

Painting, Camelia, Antonella Scolfaro

Antonella Scolfaro

Painting . 30 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€800

Painting, Red blooms, Natalya Mougenot

Natalya Mougenot

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

€450

Painting, Eau bleue, Isabelle Marie

Isabelle Marie

Painting . 41 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€600

Fine Art Drawings, Blooming Pulse, Minako Asakura

Minako Asakura

Fine Art Drawings . 38 x 45.5 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15 x 17.9 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Print, L'orage, Hugo Caddous

Hugo Caddous

Print . 42 x 29.7 cm Print . 16.5 x 11.7 inch

€90

Painting, Le guépard, Joëlle Darmon

Joëlle Darmon

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

€1,290

Sculpture, I Wish You, Ninu

Ninu

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

€750

Sculpture, Eomycota, Andrew Foley

Andrew Foley

Sculpture . 33 x 20 x 10 cm Sculpture . 13 x 7.9 x 3.9 inch

€3,800

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