"Behind the Portrait" with Michelle Mason

This week we have the pleasure of talking to author and antiques dealer Michelle Mason while we anticipate the release of her debut novel, Behind the Portrait, coming out in September. Michelle runs the online vintage store Mason & Painter which she established during lockdown in 2020, having run her renowned vintage shop on Columbia Road in London since 2013.

Since we love all things vintage, we invited Michelle to have a chat with us to see how art inspires her own life as well as her business, and what vintage art has meant to her throughout her life as well as her day-to-day.

We haven’t had the chance to read your book yet which is out on September what role does art play in your writing? How does it inspire you?

I’ve always loved painting and have a degree in art. Straight after university I worked at the National Gallery, in the design studio, so I’ve been inspired by art for as long as I can remember. The book is set in Paris in the 1930s, and I wanted to recreate that feeling of working in an artist’s atelier, surrounded by new ideas and ways of looking at the world. I loved the research and creating the characters – a group of bohemian artists and writers.

Do you remember any art you loved as a child?

As children, we often visited Chatsworth House and Haddon Hall, both close to where I grew up – Chatsworth has lots of old master paintings. But it was discovering Surrealism and Modernism in my teens, during a family holiday to Barcelona, that really fired my imagination, and I was fascinated with the lives of artists such as Picasso, Dora Maar, Miro and Salvador Dali.

If you could own any piece of art in the world what would it be?

If I could own anything it would probably be Johannes Vermeer’s Lacemaker which is on display at The Louvre, or almost anything by Henri Matisse.

'Sewing in Morning Light', signed Pim Schilt, available on the website. Click the image above for more information.

Do you collect anything? If so, what is it?

Besides writing, do you have any art projects on the go? Anything unexpected?

I had a vintage and decorative antiques shop for ten years, until recently, and I still deal in paintings and ceramics. So I guess that’s an ongoing project. I would love to do another book though!

'Still Life with Daffodils', signed Gustav Berlin, available on the website. Click the image above for more information.

Do you have a favourite piece of art at home?

I have a painting of one of those London squares – the type surrounded by ornate iron fences and townhouses. The view reminds me of a flat I lived in, in Earls Court. It backed onto a lovely garden. The painting isn't signed, it’s probably 1930s, and it evokes that feel of a garden just settling into autumn.

'Paris in Winter', signed Hans Ripa, available on the website. Click the image above for more information.

Do you have any favourite art galleries? Well known or hidden gem?

In London I love to visit the Sir John Soane's Museum in Holborn (all those Hogarths!), the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate Modern (for the Rothkos) and the National Gallery – there's still so much London art free to visit. I also love the Prado in Madrid, the Picasso Museum in Malaga, and the Met in New York. And so many more!

What is your favourite room in the house to put art on the walls?

I’ve put paintings and vintage mirrors in every room in the flat – I’ve almost run out of space!

Have you ever bought any art on holiday?

Yes, I’ve certainly bought a few on holiday! This is mainly because I buy painting for the business, Mason & Painter, so I’m always on the look out for vintage art, especially in France.

Are there certain colours or themes you are drawn to in an artwork?

I like seascapes, landscapes and abstracts, and have had some lovely portraits recently. I’m open to anything, that catches my eye, I don’t limit myself to any particular style or colour palette.

Pro or anti gallery wall?

I think if gallery walls are done well they can look great. I’m all for random arrangements!

Has your taste in art changed as you’ve got older?

I don’t think my taste has changed, I think it's more to do with being exposed to more ideas and styles, and experience.

'Geraniums on Blue', signed Daniel Leiber, available on the website. Click the image above for more information.

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to buy art?