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…

Read more
Painting, Day dream II, Fabrice Leito

Fabrice Leito

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

€1,100

Painting, My Bleu, Karl Lagasse

Karl Lagasse

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

€2,498

Painting, Chanoir x Nasty, Chanoir

Chanoir

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

€3,600

Painting, Fleur jaune, Alfred Defossez

Alfred Defossez

Painting . 46 x 38 x 2.5 cm Painting . 18.1 x 15 x 1 inch

€1,250

Painting, La demoiselle IV, Kaige Yang

Kaige Yang

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

€1,600

Sculpture, Contention, Mahmut Aydin

Mahmut Aydin

Sculpture . 30 x 30 x 20 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 11.8 x 7.9 inch

€7,000

Print, Do Whatever, CB Hoyo

CB Hoyo

Print . 48.3 x 33 cm Print . 19 x 13 inch

€1,250

Painting, Two selves, Winifred Otowa

Winifred Otowa

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 3.8 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 1.5 inch

€1,083

Design, Dot deep garnet, Reda Amalou

Reda Amalou

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

€1,380

Print, Untitled, Tadaaki Kuwayama

Tadaaki Kuwayama

Print . 31.4 x 40.7 x 0.1 cm Print . 12.4 x 16 x 0 inch

€1,000

Painting, El bien, Nikolaos Schizas

Nikolaos Schizas

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

€2,150

Painting, Micro Flashback #1, Kool Koor

Kool Koor

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

€3,000

Sculpture, Smile, Bubble

Bubble

Sculpture . 38 x 30 x 24 cm Sculpture . 15 x 11.8 x 9.4 inch

€1,190

Print, The observer, Paul Insect

Paul Insect

Print . 33 x 33 x 0.5 cm Print . 13 x 13 x 0.2 inch

€1,800

Painting, No title, Sander Reijgers

Sander Reijgers

Painting . 21 x 30 x 5 cm Painting . 8.3 x 11.8 x 2 inch

€1,950

Painting, Rebel Royalty, Chris.T

Chris.T

Painting . 45 x 25 x 0.5 cm Painting . 17.7 x 9.8 x 0.2 inch

€790

Painting, Black Signs on Violet, Raul

Raul

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

€1,400

Painting, Shadow and Tree, Armin Guther

Armin Guther

Painting . 26 x 31.4 x 0.4 cm Painting . 10.2 x 12.4 x 0.2 inch

€350

Painting, Evening, Vladimir Batrakov

Vladimir Batrakov

Painting . 24 x 34 x 2 cm Painting . 9.4 x 13.4 x 0.8 inch

€405

Painting, Pig, About Ponny

Pig

About Ponny

Painting . 50 x 30 x 0.01 cm Painting . 19.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€800

Painting, Ohne Titel, Gerd Kanz

Gerd Kanz

Painting . 24 x 30 x 3.5 cm Painting . 9.4 x 11.8 x 1.4 inch

€800

Print, Girl, Juan Ripolles

Juan Ripolles

Print . 27 x 21 x 1 cm Print . 10.6 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€288 €260

Painting, Untitled, Mansour El Habre

Mansour El Habre

Painting . 41 x 30 x 0.5 cm Painting . 16.1 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

€1,000

Sculpture, Flowers Power, Max ArtLouis

Max ArtLouis

Sculpture . 20 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture . 7.9 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch

€900 €810

Painting, Prince x Vogue, Aranka's Art

Aranka's Art

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

€375

Painting, Redrawn Map, Erin Lofton

Erin Lofton

Painting . 30.5 x 30.5 x 5.1 cm Painting . 12 x 12 x 2 inch

€1,219

Sculpture, La Nena 50, Idan Zareski

Idan Zareski

Sculpture . 50 x 32 x 42 cm Sculpture . 19.7 x 12.6 x 16.5 inch

€7,700

Print, Baby Yoda, C215

C215

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

€600

Fine Art Drawings, Queen 12345, Kim Soo Young

Kim Soo Young

Fine Art Drawings . 38 x 38 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15 x 15 x 1.2 inch

€1,200

Print, LOVE MEETING, FTZ

FTZ

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

€950

Painting, Winter night, Ewa Dura

Ewa Dura

Painting . 30 x 21 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€1,600

Print, Callaway, Ron Burns

Ron Burns

Print . 50.8 x 25.4 x 5.1 cm Print . 20 x 10 x 2 inch

€993