Vianey and Blondel designed the architecture and the Grand Hôtel was built in 1863. It was used until the late 1950s, demolished and rebuilt in 1963. The Malmaison was the Grand Hôtel's games room and tearoom and the only pavilion of the original building. It hosted art exhibitions from 1945.
The Malmaison was renovated in 1983, restructured in 1993 and the ground floor now hosts three major exhibitions a year, regularly paying tribute to famous names such as Matisse and Picasso, who were so inspired by the Côte d’Azur, alongside international artists such as Mirό and César.
The prestigious contemporary collections are elevated by the intimate feel and its charming 19th century lounges.
Centre d’art la Malmaison has had an art procurement policy since 2002 and is focusing on expanding its photography collection.
Its photography collection includes photos by Lucien Clergue, André Villers, Caprio, Lee Miller, Penrose Roland, Frédéric Altmann, Delphine Tomaselli, Julien Chatelin, Olivier Calvel, Emilie Saubestre, Lionel Gauci.
The gallery's collection also includes 16 sculptures by Pierre Theunissen, 1 sculpture by Antonio Saint Sylvestre, 2 paintings by Robert Combas, 1 sculpture by Marc Piano, 1 ceramic by Stefan Szczesny and 1 sculpture by Moya.
