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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Photography, J'arrive chez moi, Marick

Marick

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

€400

Painting, Red, Tamar Sulakvelidze

Red

Tamar Sulakvelidze

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

€1,800

Print, Miranda 2, Lucio Forte

Lucio Forte

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

€120

Painting, Autumn, Keti Shapatava

Keti Shapatava

Painting . 30 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch

€1,200

Painting, Village 28, Daozhou Huang

Daozhou Huang

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

€500

Painting, Friends, Kate Aksen

Kate Aksen

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

€1,750

Painting, Untitled, Ferran Roca Bon

Ferran Roca Bon

Painting . 35 x 50 cm Painting . 13.8 x 19.7 inch

€900

Fine Art Drawings, Grand loin, Pierre Touron

Pierre Touron

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€800

Painting, Starry Night, Lexi Caiqin

Lexi Caiqin

Painting . 50 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€5,700

Painting, Paysage 246, Jun Peng Wu

Jun Peng Wu

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

€900

Fine Art Drawings, Trees, André Roland Brudieux

André Roland Brudieux

Fine Art Drawings . 37.5 x 32.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 14.8 x 12.8 x 0 inch

€550

Painting, Ranching dream, Carla Bosch

Carla Bosch

Painting . 25 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€1,132

Fine Art Drawings, Winter grove, Katsuko Kuroya

Katsuko Kuroya

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 30 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch

€160

Fine Art Drawings, Vegetation, Socrate Foscato

Socrate Foscato

Fine Art Drawings . 24 x 31 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.4 x 12.2 inch

€250

Fine Art Drawings, View, Nicolas Damianakis

Nicolas Damianakis

Fine Art Drawings . 24 x 31.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.4 x 12.4 x 0 inch

€300

Painting, Paysages 200, Yi Zhong Xia

Yi Zhong Xia

Painting . 34 x 27 x 1 cm Painting . 13.4 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

€450

Painting, Early spring, V. Krikhatsky

V. Krikhatsky

Painting . 19 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 7.5 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€829

Painting, Watch Your Step, Craig Moran

Craig Moran

Painting . 35.6 x 45.7 x 0.3 cm Painting . 14 x 18 x 0.1 inch

€492

Painting, The Gate Keeper, Amy Bernays

Amy Bernays

Painting . 50.8 x 40.6 x 1.3 cm Painting . 20 x 16 x 0.5 inch

€1,183

Painting, Fields 9.9, Joëlle Cabanne

Joëlle Cabanne

Painting . 42 x 29.7 x 2.5 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.7 x 1 inch

€800

Print, Charity, Irena Aizen

Irena Aizen

Print . 36 x 23.5 x 1 cm Print . 14.2 x 9.3 x 0.4 inch

€648

Painting, Brosh, Ilan Baruch

Ilan Baruch

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

€8,193

Painting, Majorca, Josep Meneses

Josep Meneses

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

€600

Fine Art Drawings, Morning forest, Ksenia Tsyganyuk

Ksenia Tsyganyuk

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

€330

Painting, A good morning, Carla Bosch

Carla Bosch

Painting . 45 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€1,600

Photography, The Mist, Shulan Wang

Shulan Wang

Photography . 30 x 45 x 1 cm Photography . 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.4 inch

€1,000

Painting, Village 20, Daozhou Huang

Daozhou Huang

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

€450

Fine Art Drawings, Place des Vosges, Pascal Plazanet

Pascal Plazanet

Fine Art Drawings . 29.5 x 36 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.6 x 14.2 x 0 inch

€1,900

Painting, Low sun, Mikel Remak

Mikel Remak

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

€1,000