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, Ville jaune, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Painting . 32 x 24 x 0.1 cm Painting . 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€850

Painting, Salou, Josep Sala

Josep Sala

Painting . 24 x 33 x 1 cm Painting . 9.4 x 13 x 0.4 inch

€1,500

Painting, En Sicile, Antoine Vincent

Antoine Vincent

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

€2,600

Painting, Paris, Michel Rodde

Michel Rodde

Painting . 27 x 37 x 1 cm Painting . 10.6 x 14.6 x 0.4 inch

€1,400

Painting, Old Town Morning, Igor Galan

Igor Galan

Painting . 30 x 36 x 2 cm Painting . 11.8 x 14.2 x 0.8 inch

€950

Painting, lopera, G.Marin

G.Marin

Painting . 30 x 40 x 3 cm Painting . 11.8 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

€820

Fine Art Drawings, Broadway, Isabelle Hirtzig

Isabelle Hirtzig

Fine Art Drawings . 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€215

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

Print, Istanbul 2, Sukran Ulucan

Sukran Ulucan

Print . 33 x 44 x 0.3 cm Print . 13 x 17.3 x 0.1 inch

€650

Photography, A Chick, Emil Farber

Emil Farber

Photography . 26.5 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography . 10.4 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€500

Painting, Salvador, Christelle Bauduin

Christelle Bauduin

Painting . 40 x 30 x 3 cm Painting . 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.2 inch

€700

Photography, 135 Méga-Jul #7, Samzaï

Samzaï

Photography . 30 x 45 x 0.5 cm Photography . 11.8 x 17.7 x 0.2 inch

€165

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Camille Adra

Camille Adra

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

€200

Fine Art Drawings, Sans titre, Rajendra Dhawan

Rajendra Dhawan

Fine Art Drawings . 39 x 28.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15.4 x 11.2 inch

€3,800

Painting, Lluita, Nigel Bailey

Nigel Bailey

Painting . 40.3 x 40.3 x 0.3 cm Painting . 15.9 x 15.9 x 0.1 inch

€1,160

Photography, Ascension, Bilal Aouffen

Bilal Aouffen

Photography . 45 x 30 x 0.1 cm Photography . 17.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€1,400

Photography, Walk on Rivoli (M), Streety

Streety

Photography . 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Photography . 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€350

Photography, Lyric theatre, Berenice Abbott

Berenice Abbott

Photography . 36.8 x 48.9 x 0.3 cm Photography . 14.5 x 19.25 x 0.1 inch

€15,568

Print, Bastia, Jean-Claude Quilici

Jean-Claude Quilici

Print . 25 x 29 x 0.2 cm Print . 9.8 x 11.4 x 0.1 inch

€390

Photography, Intervals 1., Petr Strnad

Petr Strnad

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

€320

Painting, Aldgate East, David Walker

David Walker

Painting . 39 x 35 cm Painting . 15.4 x 13.8 inch

€1,155

Photography, La faille, Marick

Marick

Photography . 27 x 19 x 1 cm Photography . 10.6 x 7.5 x 0.4 inch

€350

Painting, Barfleur, Pascal Plazanet

Pascal Plazanet

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

€1,900

Photography, Circus, Katerina Belkina

Katerina Belkina

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

€1,810