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, White Horse, Zukhra Atnasheva

Zukhra Atnasheva

Painting . 40 x 40 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

€458

Painting, Sans titre II, Talon

Talon

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

€600

Painting, Field Talk, Yaroslav Savchyn

Yaroslav Savchyn

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

€360

Painting, On Midday, Vladimir Batrakov

Vladimir Batrakov

Painting . 42 x 40 x 2 cm Painting . 16.5 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€255

Fine Art Drawings, Strange garden, Gilles Alliaume

Gilles Alliaume

Fine Art Drawings . 30 x 30 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€340

Painting, Camélia IX, Lumi Mizutani

Lumi Mizutani

Painting . 24.2 x 27.3 x 1 cm Painting . 9.5 x 10.7 x 0.4 inch

€1,700

Painting, Pines Path, Razmik Mnoyan

Razmik Mnoyan

Painting . 29.5 x 39.5 x 2 cm Painting . 11.6 x 15.6 x 0.8 inch

€412

Photography, Le tourbillon, Catherine Fabre

Catherine Fabre

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

€450

Painting, Cloudy Day, Tatyana Derdey

Tatyana Derdey

Painting . 20 x 35 x 2 cm Painting . 7.9 x 13.8 x 0.8 inch

€220

Painting, Aoto, Irina Sazonova

Irina Sazonova

Painting . 30 x 30 x 3.5 cm Painting . 11.8 x 11.8 x 1.4 inch

€458

Painting, A la nuit tombante, Calat

Calat

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

€625

Painting, Herald, Yaroslav Savchyn

Yaroslav Savchyn

Painting . 30 x 22 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 8.7 x 0.8 inch

€270

Photography, City Range #45, Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

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

€320

Painting, Peonies, Manuel Santelices

Manuel Santelices

Painting . 27.9 x 38.1 cm Painting . 11 x 15 inch

€549

Painting, Iris, Vasily Korkishko

Vasily Korkishko

Painting . 42 x 33 x 2 cm Painting . 16.5 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€1,025

Painting, Saison II, Michel Marant

Michel Marant

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

€450

Fine Art Drawings, Promenade #3, Alison Hirst Lebegue

Alison Hirst Lebegue

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 42 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 16.5 x 0.2 inch

€220

Photography, Brighter Days, Brooke Shaden

Brooke Shaden

Photography . 50 x 50 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€2,500

Painting, Daisy, Rosemary Achata

Rosemary Achata

Painting . 50 x 39 cm Painting . 19.7 x 15.4 inch

€490

Fine Art Drawings, Chouette, Muriel Salvan

Muriel Salvan

Fine Art Drawings . 49 x 28 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.3 x 11 x 0.4 inch

€280

Photography, Cochenille, Catherine Fabre

Catherine Fabre

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

€450

Fine Art Drawings, Reflets, Olivier Picy

Olivier Picy

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 29.7 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 11.7 x 0.4 inch

€140

Painting, Pathway, Sergiy A.

Sergiy A.

Painting . 28 x 39 x 2 cm Painting . 11 x 15.4 x 0.8 inch

€255

Painting, Summer day, Irina Anis

Irina Anis

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

€480