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…

Read more
Sculpture, Cat, Véronique Chomienne

Cat

Véronique Chomienne

Sculpture . 30 x 30 x 10 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 11.8 x 3.9 inch

€800

Sculpture, High Soul 04, Abhishek Kumar

Abhishek Kumar

Sculpture . 29.7 x 22.9 x 2.5 cm Sculpture . 11.7 x 9 x 1 inch

€763

Painting, Zwischen, Axel Gercke

Axel Gercke

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

€1,200

Fine Art Drawings, Trump at Home, Blankman

Blankman

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

€1,500

Print, untitled, Markus Baldegger

Markus Baldegger

Print . 20 x 29 x 0.1 cm Print . 7.9 x 11.4 x 0 inch

€400

Painting, Cabecita 1, Pablo Martin

Pablo Martin

Painting . 29.5 x 20.5 x 0.2 cm Painting . 11.6 x 8.1 x 0.1 inch

€450

Painting, Untitled, Winifred Wilson

Winifred Wilson

Painting . 27.9 x 35.6 x 2.5 cm Painting . 11 x 14 x 1 inch

€222

Painting, Ilands, Lika Kakhidze

Lika Kakhidze

Painting . 43 x 35 x 0.1 cm Painting . 16.9 x 13.8 x 0 inch

€250

Photography, Indecision, Matthew Parker

Matthew Parker

Photography . 42 x 42 x 1 cm Photography . 16.5 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch

€625

Painting, Pixels, Balbyshev Oleksandr

Balbyshev Oleksandr

Painting . 35.1 x 24.9 x 1.5 cm Painting . 13.8 x 9.8 x 0.6 inch

€532

Fine Art Drawings, Onírico, Jose Bellver

Jose Bellver

Fine Art Drawings . 40.5 x 50 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.9 x 19.7 inch

€1,500

Sculpture, Complicidad, Natusterrae

Natusterrae

Sculpture . 35 x 20 x 10 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 7.9 x 3.9 inch

€3,600

Print, Pygmalion, Chie Yoshii

Chie Yoshii

Print . 40.64 x 33 x 0.25 cm Print . 16 x 13 x 0.1 inch

€350

Sculpture, Evolution, Milko Dobrev

Milko Dobrev

Sculpture . 35.5 x 13.5 x 6 cm Sculpture . 14 x 5.3 x 2.4 inch

€1,450

Painting, Implosion, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

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

€300

Painting, Harvest Gold, JonOne

JonOne

Painting . 41 x 33 x 4 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 1.6 inch

€5,500

Painting, Normandy 2, Sophie Dumont

Sophie Dumont

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

€990

Painting, In The Green, Greet Helsen

Greet Helsen

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

€1,021

Painting, Rain ride, Carlos Diaz

Carlos Diaz

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

€1,450

Painting, Fleur 20, Xiu

Xiu

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

€600

Sculpture, Equilibre, Valérie Hadida

Valérie Hadida

Sculpture . 40 x 15 x 15 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 5.9 x 5.9 inch

€6,800

Print, Planté-là, Levalet

Levalet

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

€160

Painting, Sans titre, Logovarda

Logovarda

Painting . 30 x 26 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 10.2 x 0 inch

€1,100

Painting, Gold, Nathalie Cubéro

Nathalie Cubéro

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

€895

Painting, Breathing, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

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

€1,120

Sculpture, Flight, Milko Dobrev

Milko Dobrev

Sculpture . 30 x 8.5 x 5 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 3.3 x 2 inch

€1,350

Painting, L'attente, Marta Grassi

Marta Grassi

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

€900

Painting, Merde mon tympan, AKET

AKET

Painting . 30 x 24 x 0.3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.1 inch

€1,000

Painting, Rose - 921, Aykaz Arzumanyan

Aykaz Arzumanyan

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

€550

6/79