Edward Tyas Cook

“ Upon one door in the house Allen and another workman were employed for seventy-nine days, and Ruskin used to show a model of this door to his friends as a specimen of English craftsmanship. Upon the foundation of the Working Men's College in 1854 he joined the drawing class, and became one of Ruskin's most promising pupils there. 'The transference to the pen and pencil of the fine qualities of finger that had been acquired by handling the carpenter's tools,' coupled with an 'innate disposition to art,' enabled Allen, says Ruskin, to attain rapidly great precision in drawing. ”

“ For a few years he acted as an assistant drawing-master under Ruskin at the college. Ruskin then encouraged him to specialise in the art of engraving, which he studied under J. H. Le Keux, the engraver of many of the finest line plates in 'Modern Painters.' He also studied mezzotint under Lupton, who engraved some of the 'Liber' plates for Turner. Allen's knowledge of the two methods enabled him to produce the plates of mixed styles, which were included in Ruskin's later books. Of the original illustrations in 'Modern Painters,' three were from drawings by Allen ”