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, XXI 08 2017, Yves Popet

Yves Popet

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

€2,850

Painting, Under cover, Mathieu 1976

Mathieu 1976

Painting . 50 x 50 x 4 cm Painting . 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.6 inch

€2,000

Painting, 46, Miyako Shimizu

46

Miyako Shimizu

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

€3,500

Fine Art Drawings, Elite Discourse, Luigi Bompard

Luigi Bompard

Fine Art Drawings . 28 x 22 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11 x 8.7 x 0.1 inch

€580

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

Fine Art Drawings, Flower Pot, Fiorenzo Tomea

Fiorenzo Tomea

Fine Art Drawings . 48 x 34 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings . 18.9 x 13.4 x 0.1 inch

€2,400

Fine Art Drawings, Mon dos, Ji-Yun

Ji-Yun

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 29.7 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0.1 inch

€800

Fine Art Drawings, Portrait 2, Ivan Afronskiy

Ivan Afronskiy

Fine Art Drawings . 31 x 24 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inch

€890

Fine Art Drawings, B241, Tarek Butayhi

Tarek Butayhi

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

€900

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

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, Esfumato, Rosa Cruz

Rosa Cruz

Painting . 22 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting . 8.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

€500

Painting, Marine, Jacques Meunier

Jacques Meunier

Painting . 18 x 26 x 0.1 cm Painting . 7.1 x 10.2 x 0 inch

€300

Fine Art Drawings, Home, Avishek Sen

Avishek Sen

Fine Art Drawings . 27.9 x 17.8 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11 x 7 x 0.4 inch

€950

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, Hong Kong_01, Helal Uddin

Helal Uddin

Painting . 40.6 x 50.8 x 0.3 cm Painting . 16 x 20 x 0.1 inch

€1,105

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Mohamed Lekleti

Mohamed Lekleti

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

€2,000

Painting, Pine 3, Yao Bai

Yao Bai

Painting . 18 x 25.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 7.1 x 10 x 0 inch

€800

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, Paris, Michel Rodde

Michel Rodde

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

€1,400

Fine Art Drawings, Ma petite, Miquel Wert

Miquel Wert

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

€1,150

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Enrique Tabara

Enrique Tabara

Fine Art Drawings . 38 x 39 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 15 x 15.4 x 0 inch

€2,800

Fine Art Drawings, Pin-Up, Philippe Berthet

Philippe Berthet

Fine Art Drawings . 29.5 x 21.5 cm Fine Art Drawings . 11.6 x 8.5 inch

€550

Fine Art Drawings, Fafinette et Hmilo, 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, Henri Pfeiffer

Henri Pfeiffer

Fine Art Drawings . 46 x 31 cm Fine Art Drawings . 18.1 x 12.2 inch

€4,500

Fine Art Drawings, Sightseeing, Michael Alan

Michael Alan

Fine Art Drawings . 30.5 x 22.9 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 12 x 9 x 0.04 inch

€2,331

Fine Art Drawings, Trois Grâces, Jules Pascin

Jules Pascin

Fine Art Drawings . 25.4 x 16.5 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 10 x 6.5 x 0.4 inch

€2,500

Painting, Sans titre, Ray Smith

Ray Smith

Painting . 37.5 x 26.5 x 0.1 cm Painting . 14.8 x 10.4 x 0 inch

€900

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