Home / Arts and Entertainment / Dollhouse Versailles: A £50,000 Miniature Masterpiece Revealed
Dollhouse Versailles: A £50,000 Miniature Masterpiece Revealed
17 May
Summary
- Collector Caroline Hamilton's prized dollhouse, 'Versailles', is now on display.
- The miniature home, valued at £50,000, was built in 1988.
- It features a replica painting that took three months to create.
The beloved dollhouse 'Versailles' from collector Caroline Hamilton's estate is now on public view. Hamilton, who passed away in January 2026 at the age of 86, had amassed a significant collection of miniature homes with fellow enthusiast Jane Fiddick.
Most of their collection has been exhibited at Newby Hall & Gardens since 2015. However, Hamilton reserved the 'Versailles' house for her personal enjoyment. Following her death, this treasured piece has been reunited with the rest of the collection, much to the delight of the venue's curator.
The 'Versailles' dollhouse, built in 1988 by Kevin Mulvany, is inspired by photographs of a French home where Hamilton once resided. It is currently valued at £50,000 and represents some of the finest work by miniaturist makers worldwide.
Details within the house are exceptionally intricate, including a replica of a painting by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, which took three months to paint using a brush with only two hairs. The collection highlights the finest craftsmanship, down to tiny dominoes.
