Record for Most Expensive «Bob Ross» Painting Broken
With the sale of a collection of paintings by “Bob Ross” by “American Public Television,” the sales record for this artist’s paintings has been broken.
According to ISNA and reported by Sohreh-e Honar-e Iran, the sale of three paintings by “Bob Ross” via “American Public Television” (APT) has set a new record in auctions for this popular artist.
The “Bonhams” auction in Los Angeles on November 11 collected a total of $662,000 for works that “Bob Ross” painted during the famous “The Joy of Painting” show, which first aired on “American Public Television” in 1983 and is still broadcasting. The painting “Winter Peace” (1993) sold for a record-breaking price of $318,000, shattering its pre-sale estimate of $50,000. This comes as “A Home in the Valley” (1993) reached $229,100, about four times its estimated price. Also, the painting “Cliff Edge” (1990) sold for $114,000, double its initial estimate.
After Congress, led by Republicans, cut federal funding, the proceeds from this sale will go towards supporting “APT” and “Public Broadcasting Service” (PBS) programs. Twenty-seven other paintings, also created by “Ross” during the recording of the show, will be offered in a series of auctions at Bonhams branches in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston throughout 2026.
“Bob Ross” works have seen significant demand in recent auctions. The “Bonhams” auction in August set a new record for the artist with the sale of two mountain and lake landscapes from the early 1990s for $114,800 and $95,750 respectively, double the initial estimates. About a month before the sale of these two paintings, “Ross’s” previous record was set with the sale of a landscape painting for $55,000.
About Bob Ross
Bob Ross was born in 1942 in Daytona, Florida. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade to work with his father, who was a carpenter. At age 18, he joined the Air Force and went to Alaska, serving as a medical instructor for 20 years. Interestingly, he was an extremely strict and inflexible person! However, his life changed with the discovery of art.
Inspired by “Bill Alexander,” a television painter, he began painting natural landscapes and selling them in local markets in Alaska. Gradually, his income from selling paintings exceeded his military salary, so he returned to Florida in 1981. After completing a training course under “Bill Alexander,” he became a certified painting instructor.
“Annette Kowalski,” one of “Bob Ross’s” students who was mesmerized by his paintings, offered to collaborate. The two combined their savings and established the “Bob Ross” company, deciding to produce a television show. This marked the beginning of the famous “The Joy of Painting,” which aired from 1983 to 1994. It became a huge success, broadcast daily on 300 television stations with over 80 million viewers.
In each 27-minute episode of “The Joy of Painting,” “Bob Ross” painted a landscape from start to finish, engaging the audience with his charming tone throughout the creative process.
“Ross” did not receive a salary for hosting “The Joy of Painting.” However, the “Bob Ross” company, in which he held a stake, generated revenue from the show by selling paints, painting supplies, holding workshops, and producing instructional videos. In 1992, the company’s revenue reached $15 million.
During his career, “Bob Ross” recorded 351 episodes of “The Joy of Painting,” painting three versions of each piece for every episode: one before starting the show, one during the show, and one after filming.
This artist painted a total of over 30,000 paintings, which is three times more than the number of works created by “Picasso,” one of the most prolific painters of his kind. Following “Bob Ross,” who ranks first with 30,000 paintings, comes “Picasso” with 13,500 works, “Claude Monet” with 2,500 works, “Edvard Munch” with 1,789 works, and “Salvador Dalí” with 1,500 works. “Van Gogh,” “Rembrandt,” “Pollock,” “Manet,” “Frida Kahlo,” and “Da Vinci” follow them.
