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
Photography, #7, Nicolas Fontas

#7

Nicolas Fontas

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

€150

Fine Art Drawings, Orange evening, Maksym Kisilov

Maksym Kisilov

Fine Art Drawings . 35.8 x 47.8 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 14.1 x 18.8 x 1 inch

€808

Painting, Spacewalk XIV., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

Painting . 35.3 x 25.2 x 0.1 cm Painting . 13.9 x 9.9 x 0 inch

€150

Painting, A summer meadow, Pol Ledent

Pol Ledent

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

€550

Painting, Seascape, Valeri Tsvetkov

Valeri Tsvetkov

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

€850

Print, Late Winter, Artis Reigo

Artis Reigo

Print . 29.2 x 19.1 x 5.1 cm Print . 11.5 x 7.5 x 2 inch

€179

Painting, Village, Daozhou Huang

Daozhou Huang

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

€450

Painting, Winter landscape, Yurii P.

Yurii P.

Painting . 35 x 50 x 2 cm Painting . 13.8 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

€519

Painting, Saison II, Michel Marant

Michel Marant

Painting . 33 x 31 x 1 cm Painting . 13 x 12.2 x 0.4 inch

€450

Painting, Winter Hill, Richard Szkutnik

Richard Szkutnik

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.5 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.2 inch

€1,391

Painting, Rising Moon, MaryAnn Cleary

MaryAnn Cleary

Painting . 22.9 x 30.5 x 0.5 cm Painting . 9 x 12 x 0.2 inch

€502

Painting, Certaldo, Andrzej Borowski

Andrzej Borowski

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

€1,300

Painting, 1ère neige, Navema

Navema

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

€650

Painting, Family, Lee Yu Min

Lee Yu Min

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

€340

Painting, First green, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

Painting . 20.2 x 28 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8 x 11 x 0.1 inch

€2,400

Fine Art Drawings, Looking at Each Other, Becky Lam

Becky Lam

Fine Art Drawings . 15.5 x 43 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 6.1 x 16.9 x 0.1 inch

€3,300

Painting, White house, Boris Serdyuk

Boris Serdyuk

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

€290

Fine Art Drawings, Sunset, Dali Nazarishvili

Dali Nazarishvili

Fine Art Drawings . 27 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.6 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€1,500

Painting, Fog No. 3, Elizabeth Becker

Elizabeth Becker

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

€179

Painting, Evening city, Leonid K.

Leonid K.

Painting . 30 x 45 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.8 inch

€229

Painting, Frost and sun, Simon Kozhin

Simon Kozhin

Painting . 20 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€2,900

Fine Art Drawings, Provencale No. 6, Pascal Plazanet

Pascal Plazanet

Fine Art Drawings . 29.5 x 37 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.6 x 14.6 x 0 inch

€1,400

Painting, Reflets solaires, Dam Domido

Dam Domido

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

€1,090

Painting, Paysages 234, Li Dongfeng

Li Dongfeng

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

€550

Photography, Gaïa, Coralie Honnorat

Coralie Honnorat

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

€200

Painting, Hills village, Leonid K.

Leonid K.

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

€275

Photography, Poolside Chic, Slim Aarons

Slim Aarons

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

€2,050

Painting, Iceberg, Tetiana Chubukova

Tetiana Chubukova

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

€897

Photography, Puerto Vallarta, Jonathan Dy

Jonathan Dy

Photography . 26.57 x 20 cm Photography . 10.5 x 7.9 inch

€250