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, Portrait 03, Loi Duc

Loi Duc

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

€1,150

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Adam Sabhan

Adam Sabhan

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 40 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 15.7 inch

€800

Print, Geisha with spray, Rizek

Rizek

Print . 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€500

Print, Minotaure, Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso

Print . 49 x 36 x 0.5 cm Print . 19.3 x 14.2 x 0.2 inch

€800

Painting, La femme au chat, Marie Fang

Marie Fang

Painting . 45 x 38 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 15 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Sculpture, Somptueuse, Déesse

Déesse

Sculpture . 42 x 7 x 5 cm Sculpture . 16.5 x 2.8 x 2 inch

€495

Painting, Mademoiselle 31, Kaige Yang

Kaige Yang

Painting . 50 x 30 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€1,200

Photography, 4 girls, Samuel Cueto

Samuel Cueto

Photography . 40 x 50 cm Photography . 15.7 x 19.7 inch

€900

Print, Le maquis, Jacob Diboum

Jacob Diboum

Print . 34 x 24 x 0.1 cm Print . 13.4 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€150

Print, Basquiat, C215

C215

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

€300

Photography, Borrowed Time, Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€2,400

Print, 48, Gérard Puvis

48

Gérard Puvis

Print . 40.6 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Print . 16 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€545

Print, A Little Fling, Todd White

Todd White

Print . 20.3 x 40.6 x 1.3 cm Print . 8 x 16 x 0.5 inch

€2,223

Print, Pablo, C215

C215

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

€650

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Romain Duris

Romain Duris

Fine Art Drawings . 29.6 x 20.4 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8 inch

€2,000

Fine Art Drawings, Poison, Quentin Badran

Quentin Badran

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€3,200

Sculpture, Guardian angel, Milko Dobrev

Milko Dobrev

Sculpture . 26.5 x 12 x 5 cm Sculpture . 10.4 x 4.7 x 2 inch

€1,350

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

Sculpture, The scream II, Irina Shark

Irina Shark

Sculpture . 28 x 30 x 25 cm Sculpture . 11 x 11.8 x 9.8 inch

€6,000

Fine Art Drawings, Seraph, Iana Cherepansky

Iana Cherepansky

Fine Art Drawings . 32.5 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.8 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€998

Sculpture, Head 7, Martin James

Martin James

Sculpture . 29 x 18 x 15 cm Sculpture . 11.4 x 7.1 x 5.9 inch

€1,850

Painting, Sans titre, Ray Smith

Ray Smith

Painting . 27 x 19 x 0.1 cm Painting . 10.6 x 7.5 x 0 inch

€900

Sculpture, Aigua I, Teresa Riba

Teresa Riba

Sculpture . 32 x 8 x 7 cm Sculpture . 12.6 x 3.1 x 2.8 inch

€3,200

Painting, Echec et mat, Samy Briss

Samy Briss

Painting . 39 x 39 cm Painting . 15.4 x 15.4 inch

€4,000

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

Sculpture, Pour ma Maman 30/80, Stratos

Stratos

Sculpture . 40 x 15 x 9 cm Sculpture . 15.7 x 5.9 x 3.5 inch

€1,100

Sculpture, Essentiel, Lydie Thonnerieux

Lydie Thonnerieux

Sculpture . 41 x 28 x 20 cm Sculpture . 16.1 x 11 x 7.9 inch

€1,800

Fine Art Drawings, Dreamer, Quiel Ramos

Quiel Ramos

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€460

Painting, Mathilda, Xenia Gray

Xenia Gray

Painting . 35.6 x 27.9 x 2.5 cm Painting . 14 x 11 x 1 inch

€1,815

Print, A toy II, Slasky

Slasky

Print . 40 x 40 x 0.5 cm Print . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch

€690

Fine Art Drawings, Sun Day, tizlu

tizlu

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 40 x 1.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€1,400

Painting, Waiting 4, Greatjoy Ndlovu

Greatjoy Ndlovu

Painting . 40.5 x 40.5 x 4 cm Painting . 15.9 x 15.9 x 1.6 inch

€1,500

Fine Art Drawings, L'art de la joie, Clémence Wach

Clémence Wach

Fine Art Drawings . 27 x 35 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.6 x 13.8 x 0.2 inch

€1,000

Painting, Butterfly, Octavian Neaugu

Octavian Neaugu

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

€400

Print, Sans Titre, Mimmo Paladino

Mimmo Paladino

Print . 29.3 x 23.3 x 0.1 cm Print . 11.5 x 9.2 x 0 inch

€1,200

Print, Dancer, Theodore Stravinsky

Theodore Stravinsky

Print . 45 x 32 x 0.1 cm Print . 17.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€1,600

Photography, Cedric, Robert Mapplethorpe

Robert Mapplethorpe

Photography . 35.5 x 35.5 x 1 cm Photography . 14 x 14 x 0.4 inch

€27,000

Painting, Evening, Nikolay Rusev

Nikolay Rusev

Painting . 45 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€380

Painting, Ensemble, Virginia Benedicto

Virginia Benedicto

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

€850

Painting, Van Gogh, Xiaodong Liu

Xiaodong Liu

Painting . 50 x 40 x 2.5 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1 inch

€5,600

Sculpture, Joker 5 (1/6), Boshra Mustafa

Boshra Mustafa

Sculpture . 36 x 11 x 13 cm Sculpture . 14.2 x 4.3 x 5.1 inch

€1,600

Painting, Etienne, Albena Vatcheva

Albena Vatcheva

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

€415 €395

Painting, Hannah, Jean-Luc Almond

Jean-Luc Almond

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

€2,114

Print, Coney, Ginger Red

Ginger Red

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

€390

Print, Solitude, Jeremy Lipking

Jeremy Lipking

Print . 35.6 x 45.7 cm Print . 14 x 18 inch

€450

19/100