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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Print, The New End Boss, Ske

Ske

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

€175

Painting, Niamey, Seaty

Seaty

Painting . 50 x 42 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 16.5 x 1.2 inch

€4,950

Print, Untitled, Fred Bugs

Fred Bugs

Print . 32 x 46 x 0.3 cm Print . 12.6 x 18.1 x 0.1 inch

€800

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

Painting, Sans Titre, Laurent HDBX

Laurent HDBX

Painting . 30 x 30 x 8 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 3.1 inch

€1,250

Painting, Heart, Rosa Maria Gallego

Rosa Maria Gallego

Painting . 45 x 36.5 x 3 cm Painting . 17.7 x 14.4 x 1.2 inch

€1,000

Painting, Spring lines, Alina Chalaya

Alina Chalaya

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

€224

Painting, Untitled, Sarkis Hamalbashian

Sarkis Hamalbashian

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

€1,400

Painting, Cherries, Zhang Wei Guang

Zhang Wei Guang

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

€6,500

Fine Art Drawings, L'Oubli, Corinne Szczepaniak

Corinne Szczepaniak

Fine Art Drawings . 31 x 23 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.2 x 9.1 x 0.1 inch

€300

Painting, Dinosaure, Lili Tao

Lili Tao

Painting . 30 x 30 x 1.8 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.7 inch

€1,080

Sculpture, Tomato Splat, Sagrasse

Sagrasse

Sculpture . 39 x 32 x 9 cm Sculpture . 15.4 x 12.6 x 3.5 inch

€300

Painting, Burnt Pith (1), Ara Deinde

Ara Deinde

Painting . 45.7 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 18 x 16 x 0.1 inch

€269

Print, Fragile #9, cObo

cObo

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

€249

Sculpture, La petite pause, Etienne

Etienne

Sculpture . 42 x 25 x 18 cm Sculpture . 16.5 x 9.8 x 7.1 inch

€19,500

Sculpture, Sphère, Pascal Courcelles

Pascal Courcelles

Sculpture . 45 x 45 x 45 cm Sculpture . 17.7 x 17.7 x 17.7 inch

€15,000

Painting, Love 3D, In Love Street Art

In Love Street Art

Painting . 29.5 x 21 x 0.8 cm Painting . 11.6 x 8.3 x 0.3 inch

€700

Photography, Mystique, Eric Lalmand

Eric Lalmand

Photography . 30 x 45 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 17.7 x 0 inch

€1,000

Painting, Melted face, Jack The Killer

Jack The Killer

Painting . 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€70 €51

Painting, Portrait, Guy Ghazanchyan

Guy Ghazanchyan

Painting . 30 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

€800 €720

Print, Grand prix de La Gaffe, Ske

Ske

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

€175

Print, Kissou 2, Em'Ji

Em'Ji

Print . 30 x 20 x 2 cm Print . 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

€350

Fine Art Drawings, La diva aux fleurs, Volt

Volt

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 21 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€140

Painting, Bliss, Christina Arebratt

Christina Arebratt

Painting . 50 x 50 x 3.8 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.5 inch

€1,350

Painting, Abstract, Jana Bakicova

Jana Bakicova

Painting . 40 x 30 x 4 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.6 inch

€375

Painting, Cicatrice, Florence Boré

Florence Boré

Painting . 47 x 44 x 0.5 cm Painting . 18.5 x 17.3 x 0.2 inch

€2,000

Print, Sans Titre, Jo Niemeyer

Jo Niemeyer

Print . 30 x 30 x 1 cm Print . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€500

Painting, M. Le Minsitre, Fat

Fat

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

€1,200

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

Painting, Rose - 966, Aykaz Arzumanyan

Aykaz Arzumanyan

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

€860

Painting, Morning coffee, Maria Avram

Maria Avram

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

€420

Photography, Strata # 202506, Paul Snell

Paul Snell

Photography . 50 x 7.5 x 11 cm Photography . 19.7 x 3 x 4.3 inch

€2,408

Painting, Depth, Weronika Dylag

Weronika Dylag

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

€800

Painting, Sulking, Sergio Capitani

Sergio Capitani

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

€680

Painting, 2010 N°6 Red, Yang Liming

Yang Liming

Painting . 47 x 47 x 4 cm Painting . 18.5 x 18.5 x 1.6 inch

€5,500

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