In 1898, the famous collector Ivan Evmenievich Tsvetkov purchased an empty plot of land from the Kvasnikov merchants. He planned to build a gallery for his extensive collection of Russian artists, which he had been gathering since 1881.

The architectural project of the building, designed in the neo-Russian style, was meant to reflect the "Russian" idea of Tsvetkov's collection. The project was developed by the renowned artist V.M. Vasnetsov, and construction was carried out from 1899 to 1901 by architect V.N. Bashkirov and engineer-architect B.N. Shnaubert. The description included a two-story house with a basement, partially residential and partially non-residential, with a stone porch and a one-story building in the courtyard. The house was equipped with plumbing, sewage, and central heating powered by wood.

The silhouette of the building was defined by a high roof with a metal ridge. The facade decor featured elements of 17th-century ornamentation. The main entrance was highlighted by a balcony and a kokoshnik embedded in the roof. The carved door was adorned with lanterns, and the balcony parapet had decorative elements. The central window on the first floor had columns and a broken pediment, while the second-floor windows featured frames with kokoshniks. The building was decorated with a frieze of tiles and a belt of decorative edging. The corners were adorned with pilasters featuring tiles. A porch with columns and arches adjoined the building from the courtyard side. The decor of the courtyard and side facades was identical to the main one. The tiles were likely produced by the M.S. Kuznetsov Partnership, although there is no documentary evidence for this.

In 1909, Tsvetkov transferred his collection to Moscow with the condition of lifetime residence in the mansion. He passed away in February 1917, shortly before the abdication of Nicholas II. The gallery was nationalized and functioned as an independent museum until 1925, after which it became part of the Tretyakov Gallery. In 1942, the building was handed over to the French military mission in the USSR, and it currently houses the military attaché of France.

The restoration of the mansion aimed to recreate the lost elements of the facades. The project took into account the experience of restoring the Igumnov house. The roof was replaced with zinc-titanium tiles, and other elements were also made from this material. Lost details were recreated based on archival photographs. Architectural elements were painted white, and the tiled frieze was restored. The metal grilles on the windows and stone platforms of the porches were also recreated.

In 2016, the building received the "Moscow Restoration" award for the best restoration project and organization of works.