Small Paintings for the Staircase

Small paintings, made to be seen up close, that print well at home and fit the walls bigger works cannot. Follow the diagonal of the steps, centering each piece about 57 to 60 in (145 to 152 cm) above the nose of the tread below it, and keep frames and sizes similar so the group reads as a series. Here are 125 paintings for the staircase, each under 50 cm (20 in) on its long side, with works by Henri Fantin-Latour, Hans Holbein the Younger and Jean-François Millet.

All 606 paintings for the staircase

Self-Portrait, Vincent van Gogh 18 × 24 in portrait print (46 × 61 cm), centered 58 in above the stair line. Drawn to scale on a 12 × 8 ft wall.

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Showing 1 to 48 of 125 small paintings

Painting of a red-haired, bearded man with light skin, painted in short brushstrokes and multicolored dots. The background is likewise a mass of small, closely spaced colored dots, these in green, blue, and red-orange.

Vincent van Gogh Self-Portrait, 1887 Art Institute of Chicago

Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler), Vincent van Gogh, 1887, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler), 1887 The Met

Hermann von Wedigh III (died 1560), Hans Holbein the Younger, 1532, oil and gold on oak

Hans Holbein the Younger Hermann von Wedigh III (died 1560), 1532 The Met

Study of a Young Woman, Johannes Vermeer, ca. 1665–67, oil on canvas

Johannes Vermeer Study of a Young Woman, ca. 1665–67 The Met

Painted dark colored portrait of man, hands in prayer.

Rogier van der Weyden Portrait of Jean Gros (recto); Coat of Arms of Jean Gros (verso), 1460–64 Art Institute of Chicago

Portrait of a Carthusian, Petrus Christus, 1446, oil on oak

Petrus Christus Portrait of a Carthusian, 1446 The Met

Francesco d'Este (born ca. 1429, died after 1486), Rogier van der Weyden, ca. 1460, oil on wood

Rogier van der Weyden Francesco d'Este (born ca. 1429, died after 1486), ca. 1460 The Met

Portrait of a Woman, Possibly a Nun of San Secondo; (verso) Scene in Grisaille, Jacometto, ca. 1485–95, oil on wood; (verso: oil and gold on wood)

Jacometto Portrait of a Woman, Possibly a Nun of San Secondo; (verso) Scene in Grisaille, ca. 1485–95 The Met

Portrait of Alvise Contarini(?); (verso) A Tethered Roebuck, Jacometto, ca. 1485–95, oil on wood; verso: oil and gold on wood

Jacometto Portrait of Alvise Contarini(?); (verso) A Tethered Roebuck, ca. 1485–95 The Met

Margaret of Austria, Jean Hey,, ca. 1490, oil on oak panel

Jean Hey, Margaret of Austria, ca. 1490 The Met

Tommaso di Folco Portinari (1428–1501); Maria Portinari (Maria Maddalena Baroncelli, born 1456), Hans Memling, ca. 1470, oil on oak

Hans Memling Tommaso di Folco Portinari (1428–1501); Maria Portinari (Maria Maddalena Baroncelli, born 1456), ca. 1470 The Met

Shown from the elbows up, a young person with pale skin and brown hair wearing a wide, scarlet-red hat sits in front of a tapestry in this vertical portrait painting.

Johannes Vermeer Girl with the Red Hat, c. 1669 National Gallery of Art

Portrait of Dr. William McNeill Whistler, James McNeill Whistler, 1871–73, oil on panel

James McNeill Whistler Portrait of Dr. William McNeill Whistler, 1871–73 Art Institute of Chicago

The Dreamer (La Rêveuse), Antoine Watteau, 1712–14, oil on panel

Antoine Watteau The Dreamer (La Rêveuse), 1712–14 Art Institute of Chicago

Study for "William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River", Thomas Eakins, 1876–77, oil on canvas mounted on board

Thomas Eakins Study for "William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River", 1876–77 Art Institute of Chicago

Study for "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 2: Portrait of Thomas Carlyle", James McNeill Whistler, 1872–73, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Study for "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 2: Portrait of Thomas Carlyle", 1872–73 Art Institute of Chicago

Head of a Girl, Anthony van Dyck, c. 1618–c. 1620, oil on panel

Anthony van Dyck Head of a Girl, c. 1618–c. 1620 Art Institute of Chicago

Stefanina Primicile Carafa, Marchioness of Cicerale and Duchess of Montejasi, Edgar Degas, c. 1875, oil on fabric

Edgar Degas Stefanina Primicile Carafa, Marchioness of Cicerale and Duchess of Montejasi, c. 1875 Cleveland Museum of Art

Monsieur Martin, Jean-François Millet, 1840, oil on fabric

Jean-François Millet Monsieur Martin, 1840 Cleveland Museum of Art

Head of a Young Woman, François Boucher, early 1730s, oil on canvas

François Boucher Head of a Young Woman, early 1730s Cleveland Museum of Art

James MacAlister (Sketch), Thomas Eakins, ca. 1895, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins James MacAlister (Sketch), ca. 1895 The Met

Edward Guthrie Kennedy, James McNeill Whistler, 1893–95, oil on wood

James McNeill Whistler Edward Guthrie Kennedy, 1893–95 The Met

Toussaint Lemaistre (1807/8–1888), Camille Corot, 1833, oil on canvas

Camille Corot Toussaint Lemaistre (1807/8–1888), 1833 The Met

Portrait of a Child, Camille Corot, ca. 1835, oil on wood

Camille Corot Portrait of a Child, ca. 1835 The Met

Portrait of a Man, Gustave Courbet, probably ca. 1862, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Portrait of a Man, probably ca. 1862 The Met

Joseph-Henri Altès (1826–1895), Edgar Degas, 1868, oil on canvas

Edgar Degas Joseph-Henri Altès (1826–1895), 1868 The Met

Portrait of a Young Woman, Edgar Degas, ca. 1885, oil on canvas

Edgar Degas Portrait of a Young Woman, ca. 1885 The Met

Anna van der Aar (born 1576/77, died after 1626), Frans Hals, 1626, oil on wood

Frans Hals Anna van der Aar (born 1576/77, died after 1626), 1626 The Met

Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660), Frans Hals, 1626, oil on wood

Frans Hals Petrus Scriverius (1576–1660), 1626 The Met

Lady Lee (Margaret Wyatt, born about 1509), Hans Holbein the Younger, early 1540s, oil and gold on oak

Hans Holbein the Younger Lady Lee (Margaret Wyatt, born about 1509), early 1540s The Met

Portrait of a Young Woman, Hans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1540–45, oil and gold on oak

Hans Holbein the Younger Portrait of a Young Woman, ca. 1540–45 The Met

Portrait of a Man (Sir Ralph Sadler?), Hans Holbein the Younger, 1535, oil and gold on oak

Hans Holbein the Younger Portrait of a Man (Sir Ralph Sadler?), 1535 The Met

Lady Rich (Elizabeth Jenks, died 1558), Hans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1540, oil and gold on oak

Hans Holbein the Younger Lady Rich (Elizabeth Jenks, died 1558), ca. 1540 The Met

Edward VI (1537–1553), When Duke of Cornwall, Hans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1545; reworked 1547 or later, oil and gold on oak

Hans Holbein the Younger Edward VI (1537–1553), When Duke of Cornwall, ca. 1545; reworked 1547 or later The Met

Edmond Cavé (1794–1852), Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1844, oil on canvas

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Edmond Cavé (1794–1852), 1844 The Met

Head of Saint John the Evangelist, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, probably ca. 1818–20, oil on canvas, laid down on wood

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Head of Saint John the Evangelist, probably ca. 1818–20 The Met

Madame Edmond Cavé (Marie-Elisabeth Blavot, ca. 1806–1883), Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, ca. 1831–34, oil on canvas

Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres Madame Edmond Cavé (Marie-Elisabeth Blavot, ca. 1806–1883), ca. 1831–34 The Met

Head of Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830–1914), Édouard Manet, 1882–83, oil on canvas

Édouard Manet Head of Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830–1914), 1882–83 The Met

Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol (born about 1599, died 1671 or later), Rembrandt van Rijn, 1648, oil on oak

Rembrandt van Rijn Lieven Willemsz van Coppenol (born about 1599, died 1671 or later), 1648 The Met

Marguerite-Thérèse (Margot) Berard (1874–1956), Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1879, oil on canvas

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Marguerite-Thérèse (Margot) Berard (1874–1956), 1879 The Met

Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer, Peter Paul Rubens, 1597, oil on copper

Peter Paul Rubens Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer, 1597 The Met

Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 1887, oil on wood

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Albert (René) Grenier (1858–1925), 1887 The Met

María Teresa, Infanta of Spain, Diego Velázquez, mid-17th century, oil on canvas

Diego Velázquez María Teresa, Infanta of Spain, mid-17th century The Met

Young Woman with Her Hand over Her Mouth, Edgar Degas, ca. 1875, oil colors freely mixed with turpentine on canvas

Edgar Degas Young Woman with Her Hand over Her Mouth, ca. 1875 The Met

This vertical portrait shows the head, shoulders, and chest of a young man with smooth, pale skin and shoulder-length, dark blond hair positioned behind a narrow gray, stone ledge.

Sandro Botticelli Portrait of a Youth, c. 1482/1485 National Gallery of Art

The head and shoulders of a pale-skinned, clean-shaven man fills this vertical portrait painting. The man’s shoulders are angled to our left, and he looks off in that direction with light green eyes.

Giovanni Bellini Portrait of a Young Man, c. 1490 National Gallery of Art

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Head of a Young Girl, c. 1890 National Gallery of Art

Shown from the chest up, a clean-shaven young man with pale, peachy skin looks off to our left against a cloudy sky in this vertical portrait painting.

Giovanni Bellini Portrait of a Young Man in Red, c. 1480 National Gallery of Art

More for the staircase

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Hallway & Entryway 366 shared
Apartment & Dorm 360 shared
Guest Room 75 shared
Dining Room 71 shared

More for the staircase

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Rooms that share paintings