Three cherished artworks by the iconic artist and television figure Bob Ross achieved remarkable success at a recent auction, selling for up to thirteen times their estimated values. This event, held by Bonhams Skinner, raised an impressive $1.3 million for American Public Television (APT). The paintings are part of a collection of thirty that Bob Ross, Inc. consigned to Bonhams in October, with a total estimated worth of up to $1.4 million, aimed at supporting APT and PBS stations across the country.
The auction, titled "Americana: Crafting a Nation: Art, History, & Legacy," featured an array of paintings, folk art, and historical artifacts. It took place at Bonhams Skinner's auction house in Marlborough, Massachusetts, where the total sales reached $2.4 million, surpassing the initial estimate of $1.6 million. The auction also showcased works by notable artists like John James Audubon and Arthur Wesley Dow, alongside a painting inspired by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's famous piece, Washington Crossing the Delaware.
Leading the auction was Ross's Change of Seasons (1990), which was painted live during his beloved television show "Joy of Painting," airing from 1983 to 1994. This piece sold for $787,900, setting a new auction record for Ross, according to data from the art market analytics firm ARTDAI. Previously, his Cabinet at Sunset (1986) had set a record at $1 million during an HBO fundraiser for public broadcasting.
Other successful sales included Babbling Brook (1993), which fetched $279,900, and Valley View (1990), which sold for $203,700. These paintings now rank among the top sales for Ross at auction houses, according to ARTDAI.
Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., expressed her gratitude for the auction results, stating, "I'm deeply humbled by today's extraordinary results. To see Bob's paintings resonate so powerfully reminds me that his work continues to bring joy and meaning to people's lives. I'm hopeful that Bob's work can provide meaningful support to stations nationwide. It's exactly what Bob would have wanted--to continue inspiring and uplifting public television for generations to come."
