Starting on April 1st and running through the end of October, the Wollaton Hall in the city of Nottingham, northern England is hosting a free exhibition that will leave you deeply satisfied. In full proof of knowing exactly how to hit the spot, they are featuring a collection of what they are calling “Miniature Masterpieces.”
This 20-piece exhibit from William Wigan features recreations of infamous parts of artistry with a unique twist.
While nearly everyone the world over has seen The Last Supper, not many can say they have seen it on the inside of the eye of a needle. The same goes for a full scene of William Tell firing an arrow, or Ant-Man in a defiant stance. However, he isn’t just doing figures on needles. He has also recreated Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl With A Pearl Earring” painting.
Despite the love for the big portraits or massive statues that typically dominate most exhibitions, this feature from Wigan makes up for its lack of size with attention to detail. Painted with a single split human hair, Wigan is forced to execute his strokes in between heartbeats. Often working on four or five pieces at a time, Wigan works away for 16 hours a day for stretched up to 5 weeks.
Yet, he doesn’t love the process. “I don’t actually enjoy making them. I just enjoy when I finish them because they stress me out. But once they’re made, the glory is when other people see it. When you see people with disbelief on their face, not being able to kind of explain what they’re seeing, that gives me so much pleasure.”
