Miniature art

True miniature art or painting in little is a genre that focuses on art (especially painting, engraving and sculpture) with a long history that dates back to the scribes of the medieval ages. Miniature art societies, such as the World Federation of Miniaturists (WFM), provide applicable definitions of the term. An often-used definition is that a piece of miniature art can be held in the palm of the hand, or that it covers less than 25 square inches or 100 cm². Subjects are depicted in 1/6 actual size, and in all paintings the spirit of miniaturisation should be maintained.

Miniature art has been made for over 1000 years and is prized by collectors. The U.S. White House, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Astolat Dollhouse Castle, and museums around the world have collections of miniature paintings, drawings, original prints and etchings, and sculpture.

For contemporary artists and collectors interested in visiting or participating in miniature art shows, there are several such exhibitions. Here is a list of selected miniature shows that are representative of miniature fine art being shown across the world today:

Miniature Art Society of Florida Annual International Exhibition every January in Dunedin, FL USA (Entries must be less than 25 square inches in size for paintings, less than 8 inches in any dimension for sculptures, and created with attention to detail. There are some exceptions for very small subjects, but in general items depicted should be smaller than 1/6 their original size.)

Sulphur Springs Valley International Miniature and Small Works Art Show every February, Willcox, AZ USA (Paintings must be less than 20 square inches in size and objects in them must be 1/6 their original size or less.)

Seaside Art Gallery Annual Miniature Fine Art Show every May, Nags Head, NC USA (Paintings must measure 42 square inches or less from the outside of the frames. Sculptures cannot exceed 6 inches in any dimension. The 1/6 rule does not apply to this competition.)

Annual International Juried Miniature Show at Parklane Gallery every May, Kirkland, WA USA (Entries must be less than 25 square inches in size for paintings, less than 4 inches in any dimension for sculptures, and created with attention to detail. There are some exceptions for very small subjects, but in general items depicted should be smaller than 1/6 their original size.)

The Art of the Miniature Annual Invitational Miniature Art Exhibition at The Snow Goose Gallery every May, Bethlehem, PA USA (Entries must be less than 25 square inches in size for paintings and created with attention to detail. There are some exceptions for very small subjects, but in general items depicted should be smaller than 1/6 their original size.)

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Wikipedia