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, Landscape 91, Li Dongfeng

Li Dongfeng

Painting . 49 x 49 x 1 cm Painting . 19.3 x 19.3 x 0.4 inch

€800

Photography, Moonlight, Catherine Fabre

Catherine Fabre

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

€450

Painting, Quiet Riverbank, Schagen Vita

Schagen Vita

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€780

Painting, Untitled, Gregg Smith

Gregg Smith

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

€1,400

Painting, End of the Day, Brian King

Brian King

Painting . 39.9 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€2,776

Painting, Tondo 2, Johanna Lisa

Johanna Lisa

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

€400

Painting, Autumn day, Kovalenko Ivan

Kovalenko Ivan

Painting . 25 x 29 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 11.4 x 0.8 inch

€195

Painting, Gurzuf, Boris Serdyuk

Boris Serdyuk

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

€210

Painting, Morning Mist, Timon Sloane

Timon Sloane

Painting . 22.9 x 30.5 x 1.3 cm Painting . 9 x 12 x 0.5 inch

€516

Painting, Automne I, Lu Ma

Lu Ma

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

€2,500

Painting, Three Sheds, Richard Szkutnik

Richard Szkutnik

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.5 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.2 inch

€1,391

Painting, Paisaje lila, Javier Ortega

Javier Ortega

Painting . 32 x 24 x 1 cm Painting . 12.6 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

€3,400

Fine Art Drawings, Enluminures, Olivier Picy

Olivier Picy

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 21 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€140

Photography, Phare du Titan, Virgile Mollat

Virgile Mollat

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.05 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€1,400

Painting, Colourful summer, Pol Ledent

Pol Ledent

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

€500

Photography, J'oublie tout, Rodrigo

Rodrigo

Photography . 33.9 x 23.3 x 0.1 cm Photography . 13.3 x 9.2 x 0 inch

€695

Painting, Night portal, Lark Pilinsky

Lark Pilinsky

Painting . 40 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

€1,500

Print, Church, Giovanni Stradone

Giovanni Stradone

Print . 40 x 50 x 0.3 cm Print . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

€200

Painting, The Charmer, Grace Diehl

Grace Diehl

Painting . 27.9 x 35.6 x 1.8 cm Painting . 11 x 14 x 0.7 inch

€828

Painting, L’arbre, Pierre Sojo

Pierre Sojo

Painting . 41 x 31 x 2 cm Painting . 16.1 x 12.2 x 0.8 inch

€1,400

Painting, Les bambous, Hastaire

Hastaire

Painting . 28 x 23.5 cm Painting . 11 x 9.3 inch

€300

Sculpture, Light Tree, Emma Levine

Emma Levine

Sculpture . 45 x 45 x 5 cm Sculpture . 17.7 x 17.7 x 2 inch

€2,525

Photography, Altitude 02, Hengki Koentjoro

Hengki Koentjoro

Photography . 43 x 43 x 0.1 cm Photography . 16.9 x 16.9 x 0 inch

€950

Painting, Horizon 3, Gina Vor

Gina Vor

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

€200

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