Beyond the Famous One: The Three Petronella Dollhouses of the Dutch Golden Age
- Darren Scala
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
Most collectors and miniature enthusiasts are familiar with one legendary 17th-century Dutch dollhouse—Petronella Oortman’s spectacular cabinet dollhouse at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It is frequently cited as the pinnacle of Dutch Golden Age miniature art.
What far fewer people realize—even seasoned collectors—is that there are actually three extraordinary Dutch cabinet dollhouses, all associated with wealthy women named Petronella. Together, these works represent the highest expression of miniature artistry, domestic storytelling, and social identity in the 17th century.
Known today as “The Three Petronella Dollhouses,” these masterpieces are primarily housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Centraal Museum in Utrecht. Each presents a slightly different vision of elite Dutch domestic life—and together they form the true foundation of what we now recognize as dollhouse miniatures, specifically: fine art dollhouse miniatures.
Why most people only know one Petronella dollhouse
The dominance of Petronella Oortman’s dollhouse in art history books, museum marketing, and even popular culture has unintentionally overshadowed the existence of the other two. Oortman’s house was famously so important that it was immortalized in a painting—an almost unheard-of honor for a miniature interior—and has become the shorthand reference whenever “Dutch Golden Age dollhouses” are mentioned. But Oortman was not alone.
Two other women—Petronella Dunois and Petronella de la Court—created dollhouses of comparable ambition, complexity, and refinement. When viewed together, these three houses reveal that this was not an isolated curiosity, but a recognized cultural phenomenon among elite Dutch women.
At a glance: the three Petronella dollhouses
Petronella Oortman’s Dollhouse — Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Petronella Dunois’ Dollhouse — Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Petronella de la Court’s Dollhouse — Centraal Museum, Utrecht
Each is a cabinet (pronk poppenhuis)—created to be admired, discussed, and used as a statement of taste, education, and control of the ideal household.
What all three Petronella dollhouses have in common
Despite their differences, the three houses share defining traits that link them unmistakably:
They were never children’s toys but elite display objects
Cabinet-style architecture, designed to be opened for guests
Meticulous, lifelike interiors: kitchens, nurseries, bedrooms, service rooms
A curated “ideal home”, revealing social values, wealth, and domestic order
Museum-quality miniature objects, often crafted from precious or authentic materials
These shared qualities are why modern collectors and museums view them as the earliest true fine art dollhouse miniature environments.
The one everyone knows: Petronella Oortman’s Dollhouse (Rijksmuseum)
Oortman’s dollhouse is the most famous—and for good reason.
It represents an idealized Dutch household, assembled with extraordinary precision and intention. Its cultural importance was so great that it was depicted in a contemporary painting, cementing its status as a work of art in its own time.
Notably, most of the original dolls are now lost, with the exception of a baby in a cradle—an important reminder that these were living collections, altered and handled over generations. The house also includes elements that quietly reveal the social realities of the era, making it as historically significant as it is visually stunning.
The overlooked counterpart: Petronella Dunois’ Dollhouse (Rijksmuseum)
Often overshadowed by Oortman’s fame, Petronella Dunois’ dollhouse is equally significant.
Dating to the late 17th century, it survives as a formally documented museum ensemble, with individual components catalogued as part of the house. Rather than existing as a single frozen moment, Dunois’ dollhouse reads as a structured collection of miniature works, emphasizing order, categorization, and domestic completeness.
For collectors, it feels strikingly modern: a carefully curated miniature environment assembled over time.
The connoisseur’s favorite: Petronella de la Court’s Dollhouse (Centraal Museum, Utrecht)
If Oortman is the household name, Petronella de la Court’s dollhouse is the deep-cut masterpiece that rewards close study. Housed at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, it is expansive and richly compartmentalized, featuring rooms that span both public and private life—kitchens, nurseries, salons, gardens, laundry rooms, and servant spaces. It is not only a home, but a miniature portrait of daily life and labor.
Crucially, it also functioned as a miniature art collection, with objects commissioned and acquired over many years—exactly the behavior we recognize in serious collectors today.
Why recognizing all three Petronella dollhouses matters today
When we talk about the origins of fine art miniatures, focusing on just one Petronella oversimplifies the story.
Together, the three Petronella dollhouses demonstrate that:
This was a shared cultural practice, not a one-off marvel
Elite women used miniatures to express taste, intellect, and authority
The roots of today’s artisan miniature movement lie in curation, cohesion, and storytelling
At D. Thomas Fine Miniatures, these principles guide how we evaluate great collections—past and present. The Petronellas remind us that the most important miniatures are not just beautifully made, but thoughtfully assembled into worlds.
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Written with the help if AI technology/edited by Darren T. Scala
