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, Bord, Fabien Delaube

Fabien Delaube

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

€1,200

Painting, Etretat, Eurgal

Eurgal

Painting . 40 x 40 x 2.5 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 1 inch

€1,080

Painting, Culm Day, Anna Reznikova

Anna Reznikova

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

€600

Painting, Selfie, Alexander Levich

Alexander Levich

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

€950 €760

Painting, Nostalgie, Jose Royo

Jose Royo

Painting . 46 x 27 x 2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€6,900

Painting, Chanel, Svetlana Lazareva

Svetlana Lazareva

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

€821

Painting, Barcelone, August Von Siegen

August Von Siegen

Painting . 18.8 x 28.8 x 2 cm Painting . 7.4 x 11.3 x 0.8 inch

€1,032

Painting, Désert, Sylvie Pulur

Sylvie Pulur

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

€1,560

Sculpture, Le cube, Eric Doisy

Eric Doisy

Sculpture . 36 x 36 x 36 cm Sculpture . 14.2 x 14.2 x 14.2 inch

€1,860

Painting, Place animée, B. Ciappa

B. Ciappa

Painting . 31 x 25 x 0.5 cm Painting . 12.2 x 9.8 x 0.2 inch

€1,083

Painting, White noise, Julie Panch

Julie Panch

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

€1,500

Painting, Princess, Daniel Bilodeau

Daniel Bilodeau

Painting . 42 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€10,000 €8,000

Painting, Night lights, Viktor Gutsul

Viktor Gutsul

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

€274

Painting, Apolline, Yining Zhao

Yining Zhao

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

€1,400

Painting, Zeinab, Cléophée Donnais

Cléophée Donnais

Painting . 40 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Painting, Scène Parisienne, G.Marin

G.Marin

Painting . 30 x 40 x 5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 15.7 x 2 inch

€820

Painting, Dusk zone, Robert Inestroza

Robert Inestroza

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

€900

Painting, The far shores, Paul B

Paul B

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

€1,004

Painting, Fears, Elene Melikidze

Elene Melikidze

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

€950

Painting, Padua, August Von Siegen

August Von Siegen

Painting . 18.8 x 28.8 x 2 cm Painting . 7.4 x 11.3 x 0.8 inch

€1,032

Painting, St. Petersburg, Julie Panch

Julie Panch

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

€800

Painting, Ballerine, Roger Worms

Roger Worms

Painting . 33 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 13 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

€500

Painting, Jeune lion, Sylvie Ajacques

Sylvie Ajacques

Painting . 50 x 50 x 5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

€2,300

Painting, Enigme, Sophie Dumont

Sophie Dumont

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

€1,850

Painting, Venice, Lusie Schellenberg

Lusie Schellenberg

Painting . 35 x 45 x 1 cm Painting . 13.8 x 17.7 x 0.4 inch

€900

Painting, Surprised, La Ba Quan

La Ba Quan

Painting . 50.8 x 50.8 x 2.5 cm Painting . 20 x 20 x 1 inch

€1,641

Painting, Fraserburgh, Alain Abramatic

Alain Abramatic

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

€1,060

Painting, Venise, Josselin Bodley

Josselin Bodley

Painting . 46 x 38 x 2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 15 x 0.8 inch

€1,145

Painting, City dweller, Paulis Postazs

Paulis Postazs

Painting . 40 x 26 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 10.2 x 0.8 inch

€2,860

Painting, Relax, Carmen Cañadas

Carmen Cañadas

Painting . 39 x 30 x 3 cm Painting . 15.4 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€1,700

Painting, Fragile Leap, Yuko Montgomery

Yuko Montgomery

Painting . 40.9 x 40.9 x 2 cm Painting . 16.1 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch

€1,122

Painting, The Kiss, Tom Furey

Tom Furey

Painting . 22.9 x 30.5 x 0.8 cm Painting . 9 x 12 x 0.3 inch

€1,413

Painting, Seaside, Fioravante Seibezzi

Fioravante Seibezzi

Painting . 29 x 39 x 2 cm Painting . 11.4 x 15.4 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Painting, P073, Eric Cruikshank

Eric Cruikshank

Painting . 36 x 29 x 0.2 cm Painting . 14.2 x 11.4 x 0.1 inch

€1,034

Painting, Sophia Loren, Sid Maurer

Sid Maurer

Painting . 43.2 x 33.7 cm Painting . 17 x 13.25 inch

€2,736

Painting, Summer, Bojan Stricevic

Bojan Stricevic

Painting . 25 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€925

Painting, Untitled, Enric Torres Prat

Enric Torres Prat

Painting . 46 x 38 x 2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 15 x 0.8 inch

€5,800

Painting, Ships, Bruno Croatto

Bruno Croatto

Painting . 43 x 44 x 1 cm Painting . 16.9 x 17.3 x 0.4 inch

€3,500

Painting, Kopf, Heike Lydia Grüß

Heike Lydia Grüß

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

€1,200

Painting, The listener, Eugenia Isen

Eugenia Isen

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch

€1,459

Painting, Departure, Evelyne Puech

Evelyne Puech

Painting . 50 x 50 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 inch

€1,900