Editor’s Note
This article highlights the surprising and enduring market strength of Bob Ross’s artwork, as demonstrated by a recent Bonhams auction where his paintings accounted for over half of the total sales. It underscores how the cultural legacy of the beloved television host continues to resonate powerfully with collectors.
A Bonhams auction celebrating American art proved that Bob Ross paintings keep beating expectations. Bonhams Skinner held its Americana: Crafting a Nation: Art, History & Legacy auction in Marlborough, Mass., on January 27, featuring rare paintings, folk art, and decorative arts representing centuries of American art, crafts, and industry. The Joy of Painting host turned out to be the star of the auction, with his three paintings on offer making $1.27 million of the auction’s $2.4 million total results.
Change of Seasons, which Ross completed live on Episode 11 of the 20th season of The Joy of Painting in 1990, sold for $787,900, the highest price for any item in the auction. Another painting, Babbling Brook, sold for $279,900. Ross painted it in Episode 1 of season 30, which aired in 1993. Bonhams pointed out this painting as an example of the “spontaneous, playful creative process” that Ross promoted, noting that, partway through the episode, Ross exclaimed, “I see something!” and painted in the waterfall that helps lead the viewer’s eye to the titular brook.
A third painting, Valley View, sold for $203,700. Ross completed this painting in 1990 for Volume 21 of his Joy of Painting book. According to Bonhams, Ross “took particular pride in the paintings that would be printed in his books” because “he knew that people would be studying the pages for years to come.” Valley View was the first painting he completed for the volume.
All three paintings came with Certificates of Authenticity from Bob Ross Inc. The company kept them in secure storage before donating them to the Bonhams auction.
Like the paintings that Bob Ross Inc. previously donated to auctions, the proceeds from these three paintings will go to support public television stations. The Joy of Painting, which originally ran from 1983 to 1994, was produced and aired by public television stations.
Prices include buyer’s premium.
