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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Fine Art Drawings, Dessin 1, Walter Ciandrini

Walter Ciandrini

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€600

Painting, In shade, Midori Luck

Midori Luck

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

€670

Photography, Mur 007, Sophie Bassouls

Sophie Bassouls

Photography . 48 x 33 x 1 cm Photography . 18.9 x 13 x 0.4 inch

€750

Photography, Trou noir, Rodolfo Franchi

Rodolfo Franchi

Photography . 45 x 30 x 1 cm Photography . 17.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€560

Painting, Robert Redfort, PyB

PyB

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

€200

Photography, Jolene Blalock, Michael Grecco

Michael Grecco

Photography . 50.8 x 40.6 x 5.1 cm Photography . 20 x 16 x 2 inch

€2,708

Painting, Mademoiselle 36, Kaige Yang

Kaige Yang

Painting . 50 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Painting, Paysage 609, Xiu

Xiu

Painting . 50 x 20 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

€600

Painting, Paysage 606, Xiu

Xiu

Painting . 50 x 20 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

€600

Painting, Oiseau 2, Xiu

Xiu

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

€500

Painting, Paysage 703, Xiu

Xiu

Painting . 50 x 20 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

€600

Painting, Village 102, Xiu

Xiu

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

€600

Painting, Silver Sliver, Michael Grine

Michael Grine

Painting . 23.5 x 29.8 x 1.3 cm Painting . 9.25 x 11.75 x 0.5 inch

€271

Painting, Réf/8795, Patrick Loste

Patrick Loste

Painting . 26.5 x 21 cm Painting . 10.4 x 8.3 inch

€700

Photography, Los Tangueros, James Sparshatt

James Sparshatt

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

€718 €647

Photography, Intervals 5., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Photography . 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€320

Painting, Fire memories, Pol Ledent

Pol Ledent

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

€500

Sculpture, Le Labyrinthe, Lieven D'Haese

Lieven D'Haese

Sculpture . 42 x 37 x 38 cm Sculpture . 16.5 x 14.6 x 15 inch

€6,900

Photography, Control, Ali Buhamad

Ali Buhamad

Photography . 40 x 50 x 5 cm Photography . 15.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

€451

Painting, View of Portsoy, Mike Hall

Mike Hall

Painting . 35 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 13.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€959

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Elena Paredes

Elena Paredes

Fine Art Drawings . 48.5 x 35 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.1 x 13.8 inch

€1,100

Painting, Vacíos, Adriana Setter

Adriana Setter

Painting . 46 x 38 x 1.5 cm Painting . 18.1 x 15 x 0.6 inch

€500

Photography, Rod and Ronnie, Robert Knight

Robert Knight

Photography . 40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm Photography . 16 x 20 x 2 inch

€858

Painting, Sans titre, Chloé Malard

Chloé Malard

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

€700

Fine Art Drawings, Winter in Bratsevo, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

Fine Art Drawings . 21.5 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.5 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€2,800

Photography, 135 Méga-Jul #6, Samzaï

Samzaï

Photography . 30 x 45 x 0.5 cm Photography . 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.2 inch

€165

Fine Art Drawings, Forest Road, Dean Tavoularis

Dean Tavoularis

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Painting, Bruce willis, PyB

PyB

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

€200

Photography, City Range #45, Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Photography . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€320

Photography, City Range #55, Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Photography . 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€320

Photography, Picasso, André Sartres

André Sartres

Photography . 30 x 20 x 0.05 cm Photography . 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch

€350

Photography, Picasso, Gjon Mili

Gjon Mili

Photography . 30 x 24 x 0.05 cm Photography . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€250

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