📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Talk About a 'Happy Accident:' Here's How Much It Will Cost You to Buy an 'Exceedingly Rare' Bob Ross Painting The painting was the first to be featured on his show "The Joy of Painting."

By Sam Silverman

Key Takeaways

  • Bob Ross' painting "A Walk in the Woods" is available for purchase.
  • Demand for Ross' painting has increased in recent years.
entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

A one-of-a-kind painting by beloved artist Bob Ross is up for sale for almost $10 million at auction.

The oil-painted canvas titled "A Walk in the Woods" is set to fetch $9.8 million at the Modern Artifact auction house in Minneapolis. According to the auction house, it was the first painting to be featured on the first-ever episode of Ross' famed show "The Joy of Painting" in 1983.

The piece is signed by Ross and comes with a certificate of authenticity from Bob Ross, Inc. It also includes a written note from the painting's original unidentified owner, who was present when Ross painted the piece.

RELATED: Bob Ross's Guide to Connecting With an Audience

The painting, which features Ross' signature "happy little trees" surrounded by a body of water, "is the most historically significant Bob Ross original painting ever created," the auction house states on the painting's listing. "It is exceedingly rare to find any Bob Ross episode pieces, and this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to own the very first one," it added.

Ross' show, where he taught viewers how to paint detailed landscapes, aired from 1983 to 1994. Throughout his career, he made about 30,000 paintings, per Modern Artifact, until he died of lymphoma at the age of 52 in 1995.

"The driving force behind the increased demand for Bob Ross paintings seems to be collectors themselves," Modern Artifact owner Ryan Nelson said in a statement, per CNN. "Nostalgia, social media, and an increased interest by the general public in the personality behind the art have all contributed to his current popularity."

RELATED: 'This Can't Be Real': Man Finds an Oil Painting of His Living Room in a London Art Gallery

"A Walk in the Woods" is available for purchase on ModernArtifacts.com.

Sam Silverman

Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at Entrepreneur Media. She specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), and her work can be found in The US Sun, Nicki Swift, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style and Health. She writes for our news team with a focus on investigating scandals. Her coverage and expertise span from business news, entrepreneurship, technology, and true crime, to the latest in entertainment and TV news. Sam is a graduate of Lehigh University and currently resides in NYC. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Employee Experience & Recruiting

Feed Your Company Spirit with This $200 Restaurant.com eGift Card That's Only $35

Use it at thousands of restaurants around the U.S.

Living

Show Mom You Love Her with Two Dozen Roses for $25

Rose Farmers is offering a limited-time deal on delivered roses for Mother's Day.

Data & Recovery

Get 500GB of Lifetime Cloud Storage for a One-Time $120 Payment

Boost your bottom line by getting an enormous amount of cloud storage for life without recurring fees.

Devices

Keep the Office Cool This Summer with $10 Off a Klima Thermostat

The Klima Smart Thermostat can turn your existing mini split, heat pump, or AC into a smart unit.

Devices

Stay Focused and Accessible with These $40 Conduction Headphones

These headphones sit on top of your ears, so you can take calls while staying tuned into your surroundings.