Ruskin 's grandfather purchased a drawing of a small cottage by Samuel Prout, one of Ruskin's favourite artists, which is still to be seen hanging in the study at Brantwood. This taught him 'to like ruggedness; and the conditions of joint mouldings and fitting of stones in walls which were weather-worn and like the grey dykes of a Cumberland hill-side' ( Works, 1.45). In 1833 his father brought home a copy of Prout's Sketches in Flanders and Germany (1833) ( Works, 1.xxix). By 1840, his own drawing were strongly influenced by those of Prout. For Ruskin, Prout was 'a very great man, who, though partly by chance, and partly by choice, limited in range of subject, possessed for that subject the profoundest and noblest sympathy... His renderings of the character of old buildings... are as perfect and as heartfelt as I can conceive possible' ( Works, 6.24). Ruskin continued to praise Prout consistently throughout his writings on art. 'Prout became Prout without ever knowing a single rule of perspective to the end of his days; and all the perspective in the Encyclopaedia will never produce us another Prout' ( Works, 11.58). Prout was a neighbour of the Ruskins and attended Ruskin' s birthday parties. The Ruskin family art collection contained a large number of works by Samuel Prout.