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, Eden VI (Etude), Maude Ovize

Maude Ovize

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

€1,000

Painting, Paysage chinois 728, Xiu

Xiu

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

€600

Fine Art Drawings, Pond, Galya Popova

Galya Popova

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 46 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 18.1 x 0 inch

€900

Painting, Sudden Change, Simon Ledson

Simon Ledson

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

€1,450

Painting, Sans titre, Matthieu Dorval

Matthieu Dorval

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

€1,200

Painting, Landscape, Areg Vahramyan

Areg Vahramyan

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

€1,500

Painting, Spring, Elena Lukina

Elena Lukina

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

€950

Painting, Creekside picnic, Carla Bosch

Carla Bosch

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

€1,950

Painting, Paysage chinois 729, Xiu

Xiu

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

€600

Painting, Landscape 13, Layla Dagher

Layla Dagher

Painting . 26 x 26 cm Painting . 10.2 x 10.2 inch

€900

Photography, passage secret, Michel Coste

Michel Coste

Photography . 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€180 €168

Painting, Masia.Mallorca, Gaspar Riera

Gaspar Riera

Painting . 33 x 24 x 1 cm Painting . 13 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

€2,100

Painting, First light, Carla Bosch

Carla Bosch

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

€1,950

Painting, L'olivera, Maria Perello

Maria Perello

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

€880

Painting, Séphire, Jean-Paul Agosti

Jean-Paul Agosti

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

€5,000

Painting, Calmness, Mariam Baidoshvili

Mariam Baidoshvili

Painting . 42 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€2,000

Painting, Chat, Juan Li

Juan Li

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

€800

Painting, Sea side, Mira Vitarello

Mira Vitarello

Painting . 22.9 x 27.9 x 2.5 cm Painting . 9 x 11 x 1 inch

€1,294

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Viktor Pivovarov

Viktor Pivovarov

Fine Art Drawings . 30.7 x 22.8 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.1 x 9 x 0.4 inch

€9,000

Painting, Boat for Hire, Luis Morris

Luis Morris

Painting . 20 x 28 x 2 cm Painting . 7.9 x 11 x 0.8 inch

€664

Painting, Country living, Carla Bosch

Carla Bosch

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

€1,950

Painting, Blue flowers, Felicia Trales

Felicia Trales

Painting . 49.8 x 49.8 x 2 cm Painting . 19.6 x 19.6 x 0.8 inch

€2,524

Painting, L'arbre, Aline Pouget

Aline Pouget

Painting . 38 x 46 x 1 cm Painting . 15 x 18.1 x 0.4 inch

€1,100

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, Paysage 6, Fabien Delaube

Fabien Delaube

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

€1,100 €1,045

Painting, In the Wood, Sirio Pellegrini

Sirio Pellegrini

Painting . 49 x 41.5 x 0.5 cm Painting . 19.3 x 16.3 x 0.2 inch

€2,400

Painting, Landscape, Areg Vahramyan

Areg Vahramyan

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

€1,400

Painting, Vers verd, David Casals

David Casals

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

€1,050

Painting, Almendros, Antonio Reverte

Antonio Reverte

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

€3,000

Painting, Calm, Nathanaëlle Dianga

Nathanaëlle Dianga

Painting . 30 x 39 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 15.4 x 0.4 inch

€800

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