From 1983 to 1994 , painterBob Rosswas a purveyor of felicitous little things . HisJoy of Paintingprogram was a PBS hit that endeared Ross to several generations , many of whom found his relaxed approach to art soothing .
Now , the first - ever paint he did for the show , titledA take the air in the Woods , has surfaced . If you ’ve got $ 9.8 million , you could own it .
harmonise toThe Washington Post , the house painting has been in the possession of a individual possessor for the retiring four decades — a volunteer at the PBS station in Virginia where the installment was produced . Ross donate the picture , which was auctioned off by the station . The unpaid worker likely paid around $ 100 or less for it .
The owner recently approach art dealer Modern Artifact in Minneapolis , which acquired the picture for an undisclosed sum and is now offer it to the world for $ 9.8 million .
The workplace — which , true to form for Ross , depicts a tree - lined pathway — was authenticate by Bob Ross Inc. , the right field holder to Ross ’s show . Analyzing the painting against the footage allowed the company to affirm it was not only a Ross pilot , but the exact painting used in the show . ( Ross often painted three versions : one before tape , one during , and one for succeeding cite . )
MostRoss originalswound up with Bob Ross Inc. , which has made donations tothe Smithsonianand sometimes lend out painting for display but otherwise observe them stored at their Virginia headquarters . Occasionally , a piece will egress for sales agreement that was auctioned off by PBS or offer by Ross himself . In 2019 , a paintingsoldby the artist during an art reasonable in Anchorage in 1980 for $ 60 surfaced . It was purchased by Modern Artifact for $ 10,000 . That now fathom like a deal .
