Bob Ross paintings sell for more than $600K to help public TV stations
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Three paintings from the famous public television legend bob ross It sold for over $600,000 at auction on Tuesday. The paintings were the first of 30 Ross works sold to benefit public TV stations hurt by federal funding cuts.
Up for live auction at Bonhams in Los Angeles is a tranquil, snowy landscape called “Winter Peace,” which Ross painted entirely during a 1993 episode. “The Joy of Painting” He paid $318,000 to a telephone bidder.
“It’s for a good cause – and you get the painting,” auctioneer Aaron Bastian said during the auction. He touched on the common sentiment of Ross, who died in 1995 during a brief recession. “Bob would remind you that this is your world and you can do whatever you want.”
Another painting from a 1993 episode, a lush landscape called “House in the Valley,” sold for $229,100. The third, “Cliffside,” was sold for $114,800.
Final prices also include the auction house fee added to the final bid, known as the buyer’s premium. The identities of the buyers were not immediately released.
Bids on all three paintings far exceeded estimates of their pre-auction value, reaching nearly $50,000.
Three more Ross paintings will go up for auction at Bonhams in Marlborough, Massachusetts, on January 27, with others to follow in New York and London.
All profits are pledged to stations using content from distributor American Public Television.
A fixture on public television in the 1980s and ’90s, Ross was known for her domed hair and warm demeanor.
The private sales are intended to help stations that need licensing fees that allow them to show popular programs like “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics” and “This Old House” in addition to Ross’ show. Small and rural stations face particular challenges.
Joan Kowalski, president of Bob Ross Inc., said in a statement that the stations “are a gateway for generations of viewers to discover not only Bob’s gentle teaching but also the transformative power of art.”
As requested by the Trump Administration, Congress eliminated $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting. 330 PBS and 246 NPR stations.
Ross died of complications from cancer at the age of 52, after working 11 years producing the therapeutic how-to show “The Joy of Painting.” The former Air Force drill sergeant was a trailblazer of sorts, known for his calm, calming demeanor and words of encouragement.
While working on the air, Ross often talked about painting happy little clouds and trees and making no mistakes, just “happy accidents.”
He has become more popular in the decades since his death, and his shows have seen a surge in popularity during the quarantines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
