‘Antiques Roadshow’ guest stunned to learn his Northern Lights painting is worth more than he imagined

The Northern Lights are part of a fascinating natural phenomenon that people travel a long way to witness, and even then, the experience cannot be fully captured in pictures. That is why recreating the magic of this event on canvas is a rare feat. A painting that did this turned up on “Antiques Roadshow,” and naturally fetched a massive appraisal from an expert.

It was painted by Rusty Heurlin, a Swedish-American painter who was renowned for his work depicting the Alaskan landscape through his art. He was absolutely in love with the stage and with good reason. This particular painting was one that he had done on the request of the guest’s grandfather in 1964. It had been in the guest’s family since then and has been passed down from generation to generation.

The painting depicts a snow-covered Alaskan landscape with the Aurora Borealis gleaming in the sky. When asked how close it was to the real thing, the guest said, “It’s hard to capture it, but it’s close. It definitely brings back that feeling of seeing the lights for the first time,” he said. Colleene Fesko was the expert for this item, and she explained the painter’s life to the guest. She said that Heurlin was born in Sweden and later moved to the suburbs of Boston before studying art at the Fenway School of Illustration. “He first came to Alaska in 1916, and then was in the military for a while. And then, came back and stayed until he died, at the age of 90, in 1986,” she added. The artist’s love for Alaska was evident through his art. “This painting is what makes Alaska Alaska,” the expert added, pointing out the various elements.

The subtle blue-ish palette of the painting impressed the expert as well, but what was truly commendable, according to her, was the fact that Heurlin was able to capture the essence of the natural serenity, which is not an easy feat. “What I really like about the painting is he really was able to capture quiet. That’s an amazing accomplishment to me,” Fesko added. It was an oil on canvas painting, and the expert noted that the artist had used his middle name, ‘Heurlin’, to sign it. ‘Rusty’ was more of a nickname as the artist’s full name was Magnus Colcord Heurlin. That’s quite a mouthful. The guest had no idea how much his grandad paid to purchase it, but he knew that it could not have been a small amount. 

When it was time for an appraisal, the expert said that it had an auction estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. He also advised the guest to have the painting insured for $75,000. “Was not expecting that,” the guest said. “That’s quite astounding. Don’t plan on selling it, it’s a family piece.”