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