Depictions of seated figures in their many guises in diverse public or semi-public situations give the characters varying degrees of dominance. Individual small figures may be part of a wider landscape or setting; small figures may be part of a bigger social gathering. Interactions between two or three people may occupy a frame; and pictures of lone individuals may fill the frame without being formal portraits.
Generally, the larger the figure the more the surroundings and context are obscured and are become incidental, though details may take on symbolic importance. In the case of small figures there is a tension between them and the setting. Does the expanse of the setting dominate the figure, which does little more than provide a sense of scale, a reference against which to evaluate the context? Or are they complementary, with the understanding of both enhanced by the juxtaposition?