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, Pink City, Micowel

Micowel

Painting . 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Space Jump, Lose

Lose

Painting . 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€1,200

Painting, Green Depth, Lumona

Lumona

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

€2,420

Painting, Buisson floral, Aline Pouget

Aline Pouget

Painting . 33 x 41 x 1 cm Painting . 13 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch

€1,900

Painting, Magnolia, Irina Trushkova

Irina Trushkova

Painting . 33 x 27 x 2 cm Painting . 13 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€900

Painting, Untitled, Vicente Escudero

Vicente Escudero

Painting . 32 x 43 x 0.2 cm Painting . 12.6 x 16.9 x 0.1 inch

€7,000

Painting, Roses du jardin, Yuichi Ono

Yuichi Ono

Painting . 33 x 41 x 1 cm Painting . 13 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch

€2,100

Painting, Fleurs, Ruiqiang Jin

Ruiqiang Jin

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

€500

Fine Art Drawings, Les tournesols, Arthur Van Hecke

Arthur Van Hecke

Fine Art Drawings . 45 x 37 x 5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 17.7 x 14.6 x 2 inch

€590

Painting, Fleurs 45, Pascal Vilcollet

Pascal Vilcollet

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

€3,200

Sculpture, De Lulu, Low Bros

Low Bros

Sculpture . 40 x 10 x 10 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 3.9 x 3.9 inch

€2,800

Fine Art Drawings, Feriengrüße, Andrea Lein

Andrea Lein

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

€1,400

Painting, Le bouquet, Géraldine G.

Géraldine G.

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

€1,600

Fine Art Drawings, Faces: ( Cycle), Rafal Kolinski

Rafal Kolinski

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€350

Painting, Bride, Hrair Gharib

Hrair Gharib

Painting . 35.5 x 45.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 14 x 17.9 x 0 inch

€599

Painting, The Bouquet, Yannick Aaron

Yannick Aaron

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

€800

Photography, Jonquilles, Stéphane Spach

Stéphane Spach

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

€900

Painting, Flowing Fantasy, Miriam Arens

Miriam Arens

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

€1,150

Painting, Fleurs, Juan Li

Juan Li

Painting . 47 x 36 x 1 cm Painting . 18.5 x 14.2 x 0.4 inch

€800

Painting, Lotus Soul 17, Jiaqing Liang

Jiaqing Liang

Painting . 36 x 26 x 0.3 cm Painting . 14.2 x 10.2 x 0.1 inch

€685

Painting, The Dance, Augustina Droze

Augustina Droze

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

€3,795

Painting, Bouquet, Camille Hilaire

Camille Hilaire

Painting . 38 x 27 cm Painting . 15 x 10.6 inch

€1,850

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Roxane Borujerdi

Roxane Borujerdi

Fine Art Drawings . 26 x 18 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.2 x 7.1 x 0.4 inch

€950

Fine Art Drawings, May Green II, Gabriel Riesnert

Gabriel Riesnert

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 40 x 0.4 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch

€580

Painting, Ipomea, Marzia Trinca

Marzia Trinca

Painting . 40 x 50 x 0.4 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch

€650

Fine Art Drawings, Dondi flower, Lassana Sarr

Lassana Sarr

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€900

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Rajendra Dhawan

Rajendra Dhawan

Fine Art Drawings . 39 x 28.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.4 x 11.2 inch

€3,800

Painting, Magnolia, Menno Modderman

Menno Modderman

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

€680

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