Thomas Allen, Jr. (1849-1924) was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a wealthy family and was classically trained as an artist. In 1871, after studying at Washington University, he moved to Écouen, a suburb of Paris. In 1877 he studied in Germany and later graduated from the Royal Academy in Düsseldorf where he studied under several prominent artists. Allen returned to the United States and visited Texas, where he spent time in San Antonio during 1878 and 1879. It was during this period that he produced some of his best work. Allen’s San Antonio and Texas subjects are of particular interest as these paintings document life in 19th century Texas.