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, Untitled, Antonio de Vargas

Antonio de Vargas

Painting . 36 x 36 x 0.2 cm Painting . 14.2 x 14.2 x 0.1 inch

€750

Painting, Insiemi 1, Dores Sacquegna

Dores Sacquegna

Painting . 21 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8.3 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€350

Painting, Seul, Calat

Calat

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

€625

Painting, Temple, Vasil Vasilev-Vaso

Vasil Vasilev-Vaso

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

€650

Painting, Him, Elie Chammaa

Him

Elie Chammaa

Painting . 50 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€565

Painting, Hidden Story 23., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Painting . 40.1 x 30.1 x 0.1 cm Painting . 15.8 x 11.9 x 0 inch

€290

Photography, Vagues et Noir, Regis Duvignau

Regis Duvignau

Photography . 38 x 48 x 1 cm Photography . 15 x 18.9 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Painting, Flamme bleue, Yichao Sun

Yichao Sun

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

€1,500

Photography, Nail artist, J.Léo

J.Léo

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

€1,500

Painting, Brooklyn, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Painting . 30 x 20 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 7.9 x 0 inch

€650

Painting, Dolphins Story 5, Jiwoo Oh

Jiwoo Oh

Painting . 40.9 x 31.8 x 2.5 cm Painting . 16.1 x 12.5 x 1 inch

€280

Painting, Sans titre, Yves Bonhomme

Yves Bonhomme

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

€500

Painting, Untitled, PyB

PyB

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

€190

Painting, DiCaprio, PyB

PyB

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

€190

Painting, King Kong, PyB

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Untitled, Pietro Beretta

Pietro Beretta

Painting . 32.5 x 24.5 x 0.2 cm Painting . 12.8 x 9.6 x 0.1 inch

€750

Painting, Untitled, Antonio de Vargas

Antonio de Vargas

Painting . 36 x 36 x 0.2 cm Painting . 14.2 x 14.2 x 0.1 inch

€750

Painting, Creative Music, Dorit Levi

Dorit Levi

Painting . 50 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€4,701

Painting, Hot Mess, Michael Alan

Michael Alan

Painting . 27.9 x 12.7 x 0.1 cm Painting . 11 x 5 x 0.04 inch

€1,718

Painting, Harry, Mark Hellbusch

Mark Hellbusch

Painting . 46 x 48 x 2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 18.9 x 0.8 inch

€700

Painting, Double mosaic, Gilbert Pauli

Gilbert Pauli

Painting . 47 x 47 x 4 cm Painting . 18.5 x 18.5 x 1.6 inch

€1,476

Painting, The waiting, Zied Lasram

Zied Lasram

Painting . 33 x 42 x 0.1 cm Painting . 13 x 16.5 x 0 inch

€360

Fine Art Drawings, Gathering, Purvis Young

Purvis Young

Fine Art Drawings . 27.9 x 20.3 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11 x 8 x 0.11 inch

€1,130

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