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, Cidouille, Louis Besnier

Louis Besnier

Painting . 29.7 x 21 x 0.02 cm Painting . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€110

Painting, Navet pas peur, Louis Besnier

Louis Besnier

Painting . 29.7 x 21 x 0.02 cm Painting . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€110

Painting, Bro-colique, Louis Besnier

Louis Besnier

Painting . 29.7 x 21 x 0.02 cm Painting . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€110

Fine Art Drawings, Fish, Yana Dmitrieva

Yana Dmitrieva

Fine Art Drawings . 28 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€367

Painting, Flowers, Kovalenko Ivan

Kovalenko Ivan

Painting . 45 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€415

Painting, Nature morte, Pierre Sojo

Pierre Sojo

Painting . 34.5 x 48.5 x 2 cm Painting . 13.6 x 19.1 x 0.8 inch

€1,500

Painting, Grapes, Rina Mamani

Rina Mamani

Painting . 24 x 32 cm Painting . 9.4 x 12.6 inch

€530

Painting, Apples, Lea Karvala

Lea Karvala

Painting . 30 x 25 x 3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.8 x 1.2 inch

€500

Fine Art Drawings, Pomegranate, Alla Kechedzhan

Alla Kechedzhan

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 45 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.1 inch

€9,000

Painting, Fant, Luigi Iona

Luigi Iona

Painting . 38 x 32 x 0.4 cm Painting . 15 x 12.6 x 0.2 inch

€220

Painting, Scarpiera, Luigi Iona

Luigi Iona

Painting . 48.2 x 29.5 x 0.3 cm Painting . 19 x 11.6 x 0.1 inch

€230

Painting, Mandarins, Lilya Volskaya

Lilya Volskaya

Painting . 50 x 40 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch

€380

Painting, Peaches, Rina Mamani

Rina Mamani

Painting . 24 x 32 cm Painting . 9.4 x 12.6 inch

€550

Photography, Tulipes, Anne-Marie Toporkoff

Anne-Marie Toporkoff

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

€910

Painting, Splitter basket, Lea Karvala

Lea Karvala

Painting . 27 x 35 x 3 cm Painting . 10.6 x 13.8 x 1.2 inch

€630

Painting, Red plums, Nadezda Stupina

Nadezda Stupina

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

€480

Fine Art Drawings, Carnations, Isabelle Hirtzig

Isabelle Hirtzig

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

€165

Painting, Sunflowers, Ivanyuk Oleksiy

Ivanyuk Oleksiy

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

€385

Painting, Yummy Treats, Bulat Valeriy

Bulat Valeriy

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

€320

Painting, Cherries, Klimenko Olena

Klimenko Olena

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

€710

Painting, CocaCola, Silvia Montanari

Silvia Montanari

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

€350

Photography, A loving couple, Jess Hon

Jess Hon

Photography . 41 x 31 x 0.1 cm Photography . 16.1 x 12.2 x 0 inch

€1,100

Painting, Manto, Iglesias15680

Iglesias15680

Painting . 41.5 x 29.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 16.3 x 11.6 x 0 inch

€750

Photography, Chef and fish, Shine Huang

Shine Huang

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

€2,200

Painting, Apples, Mishurovsky Victor

Mishurovsky Victor

Painting . 34 x 27.5 x 2 cm Painting . 13.4 x 10.8 x 0.8 inch

€210

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