A signed work by artist Bob Ross for the debut episode of “The Joy of Painting” is now available for purchase at a jaw-dropping price of over $9.8 million. Photo courtesy of Modern Artifact.
Sept. 17 (UPI) — A signed work by artist Bob Ross for the first episode of his popular show The Joy of Painting has hit the market with a staggering list price of over $9.8 million.
The painting, titled A Walk in the Woods, measures 24″x 18″ and was created in 1983 at the beginning of Ross’ television career. It is currently being sold by Modern Artifact in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Modern Artifact describes the painting as the “most historically significant Bob Ross original artwork ever produced.”
“I believe that each of us has wanted to paint a picture at some point in our lives,” says Ross at the beginning of the episode. “I think there is an artist hidden within everyone. Here, we will try to show you how to bring that artist out.”
Ross, who developed a passion for painting after attending an art class during his 20-year tenure in the U.S. Air Force, passed away in 1995 at the age of 52.
His instructional painting show, which aired from 1983 to 1994, gained immense popularity even after his death, thanks to the Internet.
The show is particularly celebrated for Ross’ calming voice, cheerful demeanor, and encouraging teaching style, where he demonstrated how to paint tranquil natural landscapes using the wet-on-wet oil painting technique.
He often used phrases like “happy little trees” and “happy accidents” to describe the unexpected yet beautiful moments that can arise during the painting process.
“It is extremely rare to find any Bob Ross episode artwork, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own the very first one,” states the gallery in its listing. “While Bob Ross paintings have become highly sought after by collectors, the market is still emerging.”
In terms of provenance, the gallery reveals that the painting has only had one owner, someone who was present when Ross painted it.
“It was challenging to categorize Bob Ross’ style within the realm of contemporary art. It most closely resembled Pop Art due to his celebrity status and the unique concept behind his works,” explains the gallery.
“Apart from the early gold pans he distributed while stationed in Alaska, he never truly sold his artworks.”
