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, Cargos, Yannis Markantonakis

Yannis Markantonakis

Painting . 27 x 36 x 2 cm Painting . 10.6 x 14.2 x 0.8 inch

€2,500

Painting, Sky 045, Claude Francheteau

Claude Francheteau

Painting . 27 x 27 x 5 cm Painting . 10.6 x 10.6 x 2 inch

€405

Painting, Deep blue, Mitra Deldar

Mitra Deldar

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 5.1 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 2 inch

€1,003

Painting, Platja, Martínez Lozano

Martínez Lozano

Painting . 38 x 45 x 3 cm Painting . 15 x 17.7 x 1.2 inch

€3,200

Painting, Horizon bleu, Eurgal

Eurgal

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

€1,200

Painting, Salty Air II, Karen Hale

Karen Hale

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

€1,117

Painting, Timeless tides, Paul B

Paul B

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

€996

Painting, Fleur de glace, L. Mull

L. Mull

Painting . 38 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 15 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,014

Painting, Sunset No2, Elena Petrova

Elena Petrova

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

€346

Painting, Hong Kong_01, Helal Uddin

Helal Uddin

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.1 inch

€1,123

Painting, Port, Philippe Bonnet

Philippe Bonnet

Painting . 41 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 16.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€1,375

Painting, Surfer, Peter de Boer

Peter de Boer

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

€900

Photography, Intervals 2., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Photography . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€320

Painting, Salou, Josep Sala

Josep Sala

Painting . 24 x 33 x 1 cm Painting . 9.4 x 13 x 0.4 inch

€1,500

Painting, La mer, Mikel Remak

Mikel Remak

Painting . 46 x 38 x 4 cm Painting . 18.1 x 15 x 1.6 inch

€1,000

Painting, Fusion, Karen Le Bellec

Karen Le Bellec

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

€850

Painting, Embruns, Raymond Poulet

Raymond Poulet

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

€4,600

Painting, Seascape, Roberto Cuccaro

Roberto Cuccaro

Painting . 50 x 40.2 x 0.1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.8 x 0 inch

€2,000

Photography, Birds #8, Karine Nicolleau

Karine Nicolleau

Photography . 30 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€250

Painting, Bord de mer et bateaux, KLO

KLO

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

€70