Winslow Homer's mountaineer and Bob Ross's valley view: our pick of the January auctions

"Winslow Homer, who began as a Civil War reporter artist, later became known for depicting the US's growing culture of leisure as expanding transportation networks enabled more people to visit the country's natural landmarks. A Mountain Climber Resting is a quintessential example, showing a mountaineer resting after an ascent and admiring the view. The composition closely resembles a drawing in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum."

"The painting was once owned by Millicent Rogers, the Standard Oil heiress and prominent art collector whose former Taos home is now the Millicent Rogers Museum. Its most recent owner, international trade lawyer Max Berry, has consigned this work as part of a broader group of 20th-century art, Judaica and Chinese works headed to Christie's for sales that will continue during 2026."

"The Nigerian-born artist Otobong Nkanga explores human consumption of Earth's landscape. This tapestry follows the transformation of the mineral mica, mined worldwide, into products like cosmetics, paints and electronics. Another edition of The Pursuit of Bling: The Transformation is on display at the artist's solo exhibition at the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris. Nkanga made a strong auction debut last year, with a work from the same series selling for £75,600 (with fees) against a £20,000 to £30,000 estimate at Christie's London in June."

Winslow Homer began as a Civil War reporter artist and later depicted America's expanding leisure culture as transportation opened access to natural landmarks. A Mountain Climber Resting shows a mountaineer resting after an ascent and closely resembles a Cooper Hewitt drawing. The painting passed through Millicent Rogers's collection and was consigned by international trade lawyer Max Berry alongside other 20th-century, Judaica and Chinese works to Christie's for sales continuing into 2026. Otobong Nkanga's tapestry The Pursuit of Bling traces mica's transformation into cosmetics, paints and electronics and has another edition at the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris, with a related work selling for £75,600 at auction. Bob Ross's Valley View (1990) carries an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000 for a Bonhams Skinner sale in Marlborough, Massachusetts on 27 January.

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