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, Cycle, Ksenia Tsyganyuk

Ksenia Tsyganyuk

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

€680

Painting, Pond in the wood, Pol Ledent

Pol Ledent

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

€250

Painting, Winter coast, Elena Lukina

Elena Lukina

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

€740

Painting, Roma, Manuel Perez

Manuel Perez

Painting . 31 x 44 x 4.5 cm Painting . 12.2 x 17.3 x 1.8 inch

€470

Fine Art Drawings, L'envol, Quentin Badran

Quentin Badran

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 29 x 0.05 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11.4 x 0 inch

€7,700

Painting, Hidden Cascade, Kamo Ohanyan

Kamo Ohanyan

Painting . 47 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 18.5 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€412

Painting, Dans la nature, Loha

Loha

Painting . 46 x 38 x 1 cm Painting . 18.1 x 15 x 0.4 inch

€200 €180

Fine Art Drawings, Sylvestre, Quentin Badran

Quentin Badran

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 20.4 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8 x 0 inch

€7,700

Painting, Exploration, Irina Petrova

Irina Petrova

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

€458

Fine Art Drawings, Duck season, Michael Grine

Michael Grine

Fine Art Drawings . 22.9 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€275

Fine Art Drawings, Waiting, Michael Grine

Michael Grine

Fine Art Drawings . 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12 x 9 x 0.1 inch

€275

Painting, Red Plum, Zhize Lv

Zhize Lv

Painting . 34.5 x 34.5 cm Painting . 13.6 x 13.6 inch

€137

Painting, Village life, Kovalenko Ivan

Kovalenko Ivan

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

€305

Painting, Lilac, Kovalenko Ivan

Kovalenko Ivan

Painting . 40 x 44.5 x 2 cm Painting . 15.7 x 17.5 x 0.8 inch

€270

Painting, Sunny day, Kovalenko Ivan

Kovalenko Ivan

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

€235

Painting, Forest pond, Kovalenko Ivan

Kovalenko Ivan

Painting . 19 x 27 x 2 cm Painting . 7.5 x 10.6 x 0.8 inch

€185

Painting, Autumn day, Kovalenko Ivan

Kovalenko Ivan

Painting . 25 x 29 x 2 cm Painting . 9.8 x 11.4 x 0.8 inch

€195

Painting, Tannen, Osse Müller

Osse Müller

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

€8,500

Fine Art Drawings, Lincoln park, Ekaterina Zaznova

Ekaterina Zaznova

Fine Art Drawings . 26 x 36 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.2 x 14.2 x 0 inch

€266

Painting, Oak Forest, Valery Savenets

Valery Savenets

Painting . 31 x 49 x 1 cm Painting . 12.2 x 19.3 x 0.4 inch

€230

Painting, Forest Lake, Valery Savenets

Valery Savenets

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

€245

Painting, May. Etude, Valery Savenets

Valery Savenets

Painting . 49 x 31 x 1 cm Painting . 19.3 x 12.2 x 0.4 inch

€225

Painting, Ahmed, Mark Hellbusch

Mark Hellbusch

Painting . 30 x 24 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 9.4 x 0.8 inch

€390

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