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, Creekside picnic, Carla Bosch

Carla Bosch

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

€1,950

Painting, River, Leonid K.

Leonid K.

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

€249

Sculpture, Ola, Sabine Gleser

Ola

Sabine Gleser

Sculpture . 18 x 38 x 11 cm Sculpture . 7.1 x 15 x 4.3 inch

€500

Painting, BRB 11, Stoul

Stoul

Painting . 30 x 30 x 5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 2 inch

€1,200

Painting, Boat for Hire, Luis Morris

Luis Morris

Painting . 20 x 28 x 2 cm Painting . 7.9 x 11 x 0.8 inch

€663

Painting, Dollar, André Schulze

André Schulze

Painting . 46 x 36 x 1 cm Painting . 18.1 x 14.2 x 0.4 inch

€2,650

Sculpture, Duck face, Vincent Cassat

Vincent Cassat

Sculpture . 45 x 32 x 25 cm Sculpture . 17.7 x 12.6 x 9.8 inch

€6,800

Painting, Fantasy, Jinxian Zhang

Jinxian Zhang

Painting . 30 x 50 x 1 cm Painting . 11.8 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€960

Photography, Vidéo game, Catherine Fabre

Catherine Fabre

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

€450

Painting, Seaward, Susan C

Susan C

Painting . 44.5 x 44.5 x 3 cm Painting . 17.5 x 17.5 x 1.2 inch

€1,006

Photography, Aftermath, Fiona Tan

Fiona Tan

Photography . 32.5 x 47.5 x 0.1 cm Photography . 12.8 x 18.7 x 0 inch

€3,000

Painting, Summer, Bojan Stricevic

Bojan Stricevic

Painting . 25 x 30 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€925

Sculpture, Scars, Noemi Palacios

Noemi Palacios

Sculpture . 20 x 35 x 20 cm Sculpture . 7.9 x 13.8 x 7.9 inch

€6,535

Painting, Doux espoir, Sabino Puma

Sabino Puma

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

€1,200

Painting, Spider, Ruslan Kolomiyets

Ruslan Kolomiyets

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

€2,200

Painting, Fleurs I, Claire Fournier

Claire Fournier

Painting . 49 x 49 x 1 cm Painting . 19.3 x 19.3 x 0.4 inch

€450

Painting, Divine Love, Lanre Studio

Lanre Studio

Painting . 47 x 47 x 1.9 cm Painting . 18.5 x 18.5 x 0.7 inch

€650

Sculpture, Owl, Dávid Máriássy

Owl

Dávid Máriássy

Sculpture . 37 x 26 x 1 cm Sculpture . 14.6 x 10.2 x 0.4 inch

€835

Print, Bio mimétisme, Maye

Maye

Print . 45 x 32 x 0.1 cm Print . 17.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€450

Fine Art Drawings, Fleur de Lotus, Agnès Tiollier

Agnès Tiollier

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 50 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

€800

Sculpture, Meta, Vincent Cassat

Vincent Cassat

Sculpture . 35 x 32 x 16 cm Sculpture . 13.8 x 12.6 x 6.3 inch

€4,750

Sculpture, Mignarde, Mathilde Sauce

Mathilde Sauce

Sculpture . 42 x 30 x 30 cm Sculpture . 16.5 x 11.8 x 11.8 inch

€1,400

Photography, Folium 3, Francesco Mussida

Francesco Mussida

Photography . 46 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Photography . 18.1 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€1,300

Painting, Landscape III, Lu Ma

Lu Ma

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

€2,700

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, Buisson floral, Aline Pouget

Aline Pouget

Painting . 33 x 41 x 1 cm Painting . 13 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch

€1,900

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, Roses du jardin, Yuichi Ono

Yuichi Ono

Painting . 33 x 41 x 1 cm Painting . 13 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch

€2,100

Painting, Fleurs 45, Pascal Vilcollet

Pascal Vilcollet

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

€3,200