Eric Mason (1921-1986) was a painter of figure subjects, London scenes, coastal views and abstracts. He was also an amateur magician and illustrated books and magazines relating to magic. Mason left school at the age of 14, which was quite normal in the 1930s, and he studied commercial design and became involved with studio management. By the 1960s he was working in St Ives and he painted both abstract and representational views in and around Cornwall. In the early 1970s it appears that he was living in London and he painted familiar London scenes, such as the Horse Guards in The Mall and views of Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and other landmark sites. He also painted in Jersey and Spain.