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, Girl in Red, Selwyn Midgen

Selwyn Midgen

Painting . 39 x 30 x 4 cm Painting . 15.4 x 11.8 x 1.6 inch

€3,000

Painting, Toys, Ramon Moscardó

Ramon Moscardó

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

€2,200

Painting, Monochrom N92, Valerii

Valerii

Painting . 40 x 35 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 13.8 x 1.2 inch

€1,750

Painting, Je pars, Nawel Grant

Nawel Grant

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

€1,800

Painting, Serenade 2, Soonnam Kim

Soonnam Kim

Painting . 45 x 45 x 3 cm Painting . 17.7 x 17.7 x 1.2 inch

€1,900

Painting, That's Him, Ya-Wei Li

Ya-Wei Li

Painting . 45 x 35 x 4 cm Painting . 17.7 x 13.8 x 1.6 inch

€2,000

Painting, Starry Night, Lexi Caiqin

Lexi Caiqin

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

€5,700

Painting, Portrait 9, FeiWoux Chan

FeiWoux Chan

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

€1,500

Painting, Noir miroir nr 002, Kardesch

Kardesch

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

€950

Painting, Card Game, Armando Orfeo

Armando Orfeo

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

€600

Painting, Memories, Olga García

Olga García

Painting . 36 x 41 cm Painting . 14.2 x 16.1 inch

€490

Painting, Aurelia, Tracy Thomas

Tracy Thomas

Painting . 28 x 28 x 3 cm Painting . 11 x 11 x 1.2 inch

€1,000

Painting, Regality, Sergio Capitani

Sergio Capitani

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

€550

Painting, Ipomea, Marzia Trinca

Marzia Trinca

Painting . 40 x 50 x 0.4 cm Painting . 15.7 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch

€650

Painting, Portrait, Marlena Nizio

Marlena Nizio

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

€700

Painting, In vitro, Thierry Bronchart

Thierry Bronchart

Painting . 46 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Painting, Plage Ramatuelle, Max Zuber

Max Zuber

Painting . 40 x 30 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€5,000

Painting, Coiffure, Xavier Albert Fiala

Xavier Albert Fiala

Painting . 49.7 x 38 x 0.7 cm Painting . 19.6 x 15 x 0.3 inch

€1,143

Painting, Barcelona III, Paul Landauer

Paul Landauer

Painting . 38.3 x 27 x 0.1 cm Painting . 15.1 x 10.6 x 0 inch

€1,083

Painting, Butterfly, Liva Pakalne

Liva Pakalne

Painting . 40 x 40 x 8 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 3.1 inch

€1,900

Painting, Etiuda, Jan Aniserowicz

Jan Aniserowicz

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

€550

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