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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Sculpture, Mitico, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 34 x 14 x 14 cm Sculpture . 13.4 x 5.5 x 5.5 inch

€250

Painting, Daydream, Miriam Arens

Miriam Arens

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

€1,150

Painting, Lotus 8, Xiu

Xiu

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

€600

Sculpture, YueMaer, Guoyi Liu

Guoyi Liu

Sculpture . 40 x 15 x 12 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 5.9 x 4.7 inch

€950

Painting, 74, Miyako Shimizu

74

Miyako Shimizu

Painting . 40 x 41 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch

€4,050

Fine Art Drawings, Ugly man, Odin Pigelet

Odin Pigelet

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€90

Sculpture, Art Attack, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 33 x 12 x 9 cm Sculpture . 13 x 4.7 x 3.5 inch

€200

Painting, Dwarka, Seaty

Seaty

Painting . 45 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

€4,400

Print, Soup, Ske

Ske

Print . 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Print . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

€149

Painting, Campagne, Ziv Lahat

Ziv Lahat

Painting . 37 x 37 x 4.5 cm Painting . 14.6 x 14.6 x 1.8 inch

€1,500

Fine Art Drawings, Scuba Diving, Gouzy

Gouzy

Fine Art Drawings . 39 x 29 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.4 x 11.4 x 0.4 inch

€600

Fine Art Drawings, Sans, Djess Erdeven

Djess Erdeven

Fine Art Drawings . 41 x 30 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.1 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Painting, Lobster, Tamar Sulakvelidze

Tamar Sulakvelidze

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

€2,000

Painting, Lapin, Lili Tao

Lili Tao

Painting . 40 x 40 x 1.8 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.7 inch

€1,080

Design, Dot powdery mat, Reda Amalou

Reda Amalou

Design . 45 x 41 x 41 cm Design . 17.7 x 16.1 x 16.1 inch

€1,280

Painting, Pick me up, Nina Fedotova

Nina Fedotova

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

€400

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Josep Marí Sintes

Josep Marí Sintes

Fine Art Drawings . 33 x 26 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 13 x 10.2 x 0 inch

€666

Painting, D'artagnan, AKET

AKET

Painting . 41 x 33 x 4 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 1.6 inch

€1,200

Painting, Mr.Hope Love, MrHope

MrHope

Painting . 40 x 31 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 12.2 x 0.8 inch

€150

Painting, La rencontre, Cyril Destrade

Cyril Destrade

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

€2,500

Sculpture, Teddy LV Marilyn, Naor

Naor

Sculpture . 35 x 26 x 25 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 10.2 x 9.8 inch

€680

Painting, Pink Frida, Âme Sauvage

Âme Sauvage

Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€105

Painting, Avalokitesvara, Taiyu Zhou

Taiyu Zhou

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

€800

Sculpture, VIOLENTO, Gite

Gite

Sculpture . 23 x 35 x 24 cm Sculpture . 9.1 x 13.8 x 9.4 inch

€990

Painting, Heart, Dave Towers

Dave Towers

Painting . 29.7 x 42 cm Painting . 11.7 x 16.5 inch

€200

Painting, Bouquet rond, Navema

Navema

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

€560

Painting, Mainstream, Salvatore Alessi

Salvatore Alessi

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

€1,900

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