In more than 400 episodes of The Joy of Painting, which aired between 1983 and 1994 and are still regularly rerun today, Bob Ross introduced his fans to the wet-on-wet oil painting technique, insisting that there are no mistakes, only "happy little accidents."
Ross mostly painted landscapes, often featuring mountains in the distance and trees in the foreground. Two such works were included in a Bonhams New York online auction of American art, which concluded on August 7. Both paintings proved particularly sought after. Lake Below Snow-Capped Peaks and Cloudy Sky, measuring 47.5 x 61 cm, set a new auction record for Ross, selling for $114,800 including premium (estimate: $30,000–50,000). A similar piece, Lake Below Snow-Covered Mountains and Clear Sky, sold for $95,750 including buyer’s premium (estimate: $30,000–50,000).
See also: American Romanticism: The Landscapes of the Hudson River School
Bob Ross’s works are highly desirable but relatively rare on the auction market. Most paintings produced for The Joy of Painting remain the property of Bob Ross Inc., with only a small number entering private hands.
The two paintings featured here, created around 1990–91, were purchased shortly after their creation directly from Ross by private collectors in Florida and were later passed down to the current sellers. Both are signed, and their authenticity has been confirmed by Bob Ross Inc.
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Another record was set for Paul Reiska, a student of Hans Hoffmann, when Provincetown, Canaletto sold for $70,350 including buyer’s premium (estimate: $12,000–18,000). The American Art Online auction totalled $764,000, nearly double the pre-auction estimate.
