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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Fine Art Drawings, Venice, Giovanni Brancaccio

Giovanni Brancaccio

Fine Art Drawings . 33 x 40 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 13 x 15.7 x 0 inch

€1,000

Painting, Pêcheur II, Boxi Chen

Boxi Chen

Painting . 34 x 34 x 1 cm Painting . 13.4 x 13.4 x 0.4 inch

€500

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled 202, Tarek Butayhi

Tarek Butayhi

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 30 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11.8 inch

€800

Painting, Chenille, Fabrice Hyber

Fabrice Hyber

Painting . 16 x 29 x 0.05 cm Painting . 6.3 x 11.4 x 0 inch

€1,800

Painting, Aquarelle, Julien Raynaud

Julien Raynaud

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

€750

Painting, Mannequins, Yosl Bergner

Yosl Bergner

Painting . 36 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting . 14.2 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€985

Painting, Evil Thoughts, Mark Tobey

Mark Tobey

Painting . 35 x 24 x 1 cm Painting . 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

€18,900

Painting, Rest, Kim Uchiyama

Kim Uchiyama

Painting . 40.6 x 30.5 cm Painting . 16 x 12 inch

€1,626

Painting, In Knots, Emily Redd

Emily Redd

Painting . 35.6 x 35.6 x 0.3 cm Painting . 14 x 14 x 0.1 inch

€853

Fine Art Drawings, Des vices, Philippe Huart

Philippe Huart

Fine Art Drawings . 26 x 18 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10.2 x 7.1 x 0.2 inch

€1,200

Painting, 4th Floor, Peter Soriano

Peter Soriano

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

€964

Fine Art Drawings, Emotion 20200619, Yaki Li

Yaki Li

Fine Art Drawings . 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

€185

Fine Art Drawings, Frédérica, Luigi Corbellini

Luigi Corbellini

Fine Art Drawings . 38 x 29 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15 x 11.4 x 0.1 inch

€907

Painting, Summer Park, Valery Savenets

Valery Savenets

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

€210

Painting, Buste, Georges Hugnet

Georges Hugnet

Painting . 36 x 14 x 0.01 cm Painting . 14.2 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€750

Painting, Untitled, Henri Pfeiffer

Henri Pfeiffer

Painting . 46 x 32 x 0.1 cm Painting . 18.1 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€5,500

Painting, Sitges, Ignasi Mundo

Ignasi Mundo

Painting . 45 x 33 x 0.3 cm Painting . 17.7 x 13 x 0.1 inch

€600

Fine Art Drawings, Flo et Helio, Fafi

Fafi

Fine Art Drawings . 31 x 23 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.2 x 9.1 x 0 inch

€1,200

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Gerard Sala

Gerard Sala

Fine Art Drawings . 24 x 32 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 9.4 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€1,100

Painting, Grenouille, Yann Peron

Yann Peron

Painting . 29 x 41 cm Painting . 11.4 x 16.1 inch

€1,600

Fine Art Drawings, L'élégante, Yvette Alde

Yvette Alde

Fine Art Drawings . 31.5 x 23.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.4 x 9.3 inch

€200

Fine Art Drawings, Procès, John Reitz

John Reitz

Fine Art Drawings . 36.5 x 29 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 14.4 x 11.4 x 0.1 inch

€930

Painting, Unique, Isabelle Hirtzig

Isabelle Hirtzig

Painting . 42 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0 inch

€175

Fine Art Drawings, Woman, Leo Guida

Leo Guida

Fine Art Drawings . 32 x 24 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.6 x 9.4 x 0 inch

€580

Painting, Sans titre, Ray Smith

Ray Smith

Painting . 27 x 19 x 0.1 cm Painting . 10.6 x 7.5 x 0 inch

€900

Painting, Pleasure Bay, Anna Bukhareva

Anna Bukhareva

Painting . 27.9 x 40.6 x 0.2 cm Painting . 11 x 16 x 0.1 inch

€1,200

Painting, Mémoire d'indigo, Christy

Christy

Painting . 46 x 38 x 2 cm Painting . 18.1 x 15 x 0.8 inch

€1,200

Fine Art Drawings, Je raconte, Jean-Louis Toutain

Jean-Louis Toutain

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 28 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 11 x 0 inch

€1,100

Painting, Sweet Death Chaos, Monsta

Monsta

Painting . 35 x 26 x 0.2 cm Painting . 13.8 x 10.2 x 0.1 inch

€1,200

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