Artwork hasn’t always been part of Animal Crossing: New Horizons — it only made its appearance a few months after its initial launch alongside Redd. Once every week or so, Redd’s ship will arrive at the secret beach on the very edge of your island. You can even check your map to spot his corresponding map icon! Once you arrive, you can purchase one piece of art per day (and per user, so if you have multiple save files you can buy more), and it’s then shipped out and delivered by mail the next day. Now then, let’s get right into our ACNH art guide.
You’re tasked with donating art pieces to the museum, but there’s a problem — some of Redd’s artwork has a chance of being forged, and if it is, Blathers won’t accept it as a contribution. This means you’ll need to keep a sharp eye for forgeries, but have no fear! We’ve taken the liberty of compiling pictures and information to help you spot the fakes. Be sure to bookmark this page for later, because Redd returns on a semi-weekly basis!
Here’s the deal with our pictures, then. Each painting and sculpture is listed in alphabetical order, so feel free to use one of those “find on page” search bars to look up the one you want to check. In images with two or more pieces, the artwork to the left will always be the genuine one, so keep that in mind! With that said, here’s a complete list of all the art you can obtain in Animal Crossing: New Horizons:
Academic painting
The academic painting is the Animal Crossing version of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man artwork. In this game, there’s only one forged version — the art will have a coffee stain in its top-right corner. Take a look above if you need an example! If you find an academic painting without a stain, it’s real.
Amazing painting
The amazing painting is an oil painting by Rembrandt called The Nightwatch. For this painting, take a look at the man with the red scarf in the middle of the painting. If he has a hat, the artwork is genuine. If he doesn’t have a hat, it’s forged. At least forged paintings make good decorations for your town and home!
Ancient Statue
If you’ve taken a fine art course, the ancient statue might be vaguely familiar — it’s a copy of a real-world statue called the Dogū. There’s just one forged version of this piece, and it has two antennae instead of none. Make sure the statue has no antenna instead of two, and you’re good to go.
Basic painting
The basic painting is Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy. In Animal Crossing, there’s just one forged version of this artwork. Keep your eye on the person’s head, and if their bangs are straight and their hair is long, the piece is fake. If the person’s hair is wavy and short, it’s real.
Beautiful statue
This statue is none other than the Venus de Milo. It’s said that at one point, this statue had arms, but they’ve since crumbled away. The forged version of this statue has a necklace, whereas the genuine version doesn’t have anything around its neck.
Calm painting
This artwork is a painting called A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Fortunately, there’s no forged version in Animal Crossing! Anytime you see the calm painting in Redd’s shop, it’s real and safe to purchase.
Common painting
The real name of this painting is The Gleaners, and it was created by Jean-François Millet in 1857. History aside, there’s no forged version of this painting. It’s the same deal as above — whenever you see the common painting in Redd’s ship, it’s genuine and safe to buy.
Detailed painting
This flowery painting is called Rooster and Hen with Hydrangeas. There’s just one forged version of this artwork, and it involves the color of the flowers. On the genuine version, the flowers are blue, and on the fake one, the flowers are purple. Keep an eye out!
Dynamic painting
The dynamic painting is a real-life piece called The Great Wave off Kanagawa. You may have seen copies of this artwork in real life, too! Fortunately, it’s always genuine in Animal Crossing, so there’s no chance that you obtain a fake piece of art when purchasing this from Redd.
Familiar statue
This statue’s kind of iconic, and appears in all sorts of media. It’s called The Thinker by Auguste Rodin, and the piece is always genuine when it appears in Animal Crossing. If you see it in Redd’s shop, feel free to purchase it! You won’t get ripped off this time.
Famous painting
Okay, there’s no way you don’t know what this painting is based on, so let’s skip that part. Just like in real life, there is indeed a forged version of this artwork, and you can tell by looking at the woman’s eyebrows. If her eyebrows look slightly angry, the painting is forged. If her eyebrows aren’t really noticeable, then the painting is real.
Flowery painting
Good news: the flowery painting is always genuine! Whenever you see it in Redd’s inventory, it’s completely safe to purchase. The actual artwork is based on Vincent Van Gogh’s piece, which is fitting titled Sunflowers.
Gallant statue
The gallant statue is based on David, which is one of the most well-known sculptures of all time. It’s also a bit surprising to see this in a family-friendly Animal Crossing game. In the fake version, David will be holding a book close to his torso. The book isn’t there in the genuine version.
Glowing painting
The glowing painting is based on The Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord William Turner. Just like the flowery painting, there’s no forged version of the glowing painting — it’s always genuine! Feel free to purchase it the moment you see it in Redd’s shop. There’s no risk!
Graceful painting
There are actually two forged versions of this painting. If you look at the image above, keep in mind that the one to the left is genuine and the others are forged. If the woman takes up most of the canvas or faces left, it’s fake. The woman has to be positioned in the bottom half of the canvas and facing right. By the way, this painting is based on the real-life piece called Beauty Looking Back.
Great statue
The great statue is based on the Kamehameha statue. Not sure why they didn’t call this piece by its real name, but it seems that Animal Crossing likes to be vague about its art origins (unless you’re looking them up in the museum). This statue is always genuine, by the way!
Informative statue
The informative statue is based on the Rosetta stone! This piece helped historians decipher ancient languages. In Animal Crossing, the forged informative statue is blue instead of gray. It’s really easy to determine the authenticity of this piece, as you can tell!
Jolly painting
It feels like Redd always has this painting, doesn’t it? There’s just one forged version available, and you can tell if the painting doesn’t have a thistle-looking bit at the bottom right. Have a look at the image above if you need an example! This piece is based on Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s Summer.
Moody painting
The moody painting is based on The Sower by Jean-François Millet. Here’s some good news: it’s always genuine! If you see it in Redd’s shop and want to donate it to the museum (or use it as a decoration in your home), you’re more than welcome to.
Motherly statue
The motherly statue is based on a real-world piece called Capitoline Wolf. In the forged version, the large wolf’s tongue is hanging out. In the genuine version, you can’t see the wolf’s tongue. Fortunately, even the forged statue makes for a good decoration around town!
Moving painting
Most of you have probably seen a copy of this painting in real life! It’s based on the iconic piece called The Birth of Venus. There’s one forged version of this artwork — keep an eye on the top right. If there’s a big tree, the painting is genuine! If there’s no tree and an empty sky, the painting is forged.
Mysterious painting
The mysterious painting is based on Arnold Böcklin’s Isle of the Dead. In this game, it’s always genuine! There’s no chance of getting ripped off, so you’re welcome to purchase it the moment you see it. By the way, this painting’s really cool — it would make for a great decoration in a marine-themed room.
Mystic statue
The mystic statue is based on the Nefertiti Bust. The forged version of this piece has earrings, whereas the real one doesn’t. Take a closer look to make sure you purchase a genuine one! The real piece doesn’t have earrings at all.
Nice painting
The nice painting is a copy of Édouard Manet’s The Fifer. It’s also known as the Young Flautist. On to the important stuff, though: in Animal Crossing, this painting is always genuine. Whenever you see this in Redd’s shop, it’s perfectly safe to purchase!
Perfect painting
The perfect painting is based on a piece called Still Life with Apples and Oranges. It’s a fitting name! When this artwork appears in Redd’s boat, it’s always genuine no matter what. There’s no forged version, so you’re free to purchase this as you please.
Proper painting
The proper painting is based on Édouard Manet’s piece, which is called A Bar at the Folies-Bergere. This one’s always real, too! It seems to be somewhat rare, but then again, Redd’s day-to-day inventory is essentially left to luck. Maybe we’re just unlucky.
Quaint painting
Now we’re getting back to paintings that do have forged versions. The quaint painting is genuine if the amount of liquid being poured from the vase is really thin. If the amount of liquid being poured takes up over half of the base, then it’s not real. This piece is based on Johannes Vermeer’s The Milkmaid.
Robust statue
The robust statue is based on the real-life piece called Townley Discobolus. The forged version of this statue wears a watch on its outstretched arm. Watches didn’t exist back then — at least, maybe not in the way they do now. Regardless, keep your eyes peeled for a statue that doesn’t have a watch on its arm.
Rock-head statue
The forged version of this statue is a bit hard to describe, so have a look at the image above. In the real version, the statue’s lips are curled downward. In the forged version, its lips are kind of smiling. It’s not a very convincing smile, though.
Scary painting
The scary painting is based on a real-life piece called Kabuki Actor Ōtani Oniji III as Yakko Edobei. There are two forged versions of this artwork. In the genuine version, the man’s eyebrows are pointing downward to form an angry face and his mouth is frowning. If his eyebrows are pointing upward or his mouth is smiling, the piece is forged.
Scenic painting
The scenic painting is based on a real-world piece called The Hunters in the Snow, and there is a forged version of this artwork. At the bottom-left corner of the genuine picture, there’s a man wearing an orangish-brown coat. He’s not present in the fake version, and there are a few animals missing as well. Take a close look before you buy, and use the image above as a reference!
Serene painting
The serene painting is Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine. Its forged versions are tricky, so keep a close eye out! If the ermine the woman is holding has spots of dark gray, the painting is fake. If the ermine is pure white (save for a bit of yellow on its snout), it’s genuine.
Sinking painting
The sinking painting is one you may have seen snippets of in real life — it’s a piece simply called Ophelia. Luckily, this painting is always genuine in Animal Crossing! If you see this in Redd’s inventory, you’re safe to purchase it no matter what.
Solemn painting
This artwork is a real-life work called Las Meninas. This painting is huge, and to spot the forgery you’ll need to turn your attention to the doorway at the back. If the man’s hand is bent sideways, it’s genuine. If the man’s hand is bent upward as if to wave, it’s fake. This one’s tricky, so keep your eyes peeled!
Tremendous statue
The real-world version of the tremendous statue is called the Houmuwu ding. The forged version has a lid on top, whereas the genuine version kind of looks like a fancy sink. This statue doesn’t appear in Redd’s shop very often!
Twinkling painting
You’ve definitely seen this painting before! It’s Vincent van Goh’s Starry Night — one of the most famous pieces of all time. It’s always genuine when it appears in Animal Crossing, plus it makes for a great home decoration!
Valiant statue
The real-world valiant statue is called the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It’s kind of hard to explain the forged version, but its legs are mirrored. In the real one, the statue’s right leg is the one walking forward. Look at the image above if you need more details!
Warm painting
The warm painting is Francisco de Goya’s La Maja Vestida. Just like the twinkling painting, this piece is always genuine when it appears in Animal Crossing. Don’t worry about getting ripped off, because Redd always stocks genuine versions!
Warrior statue
The warrior statue is a real-life work called the Terracotta Army. When you donate it to the museum, a bunch of tiny statues will appear with it even though you only donated one! In the forged version, the man is holding a shovel. He isn’t holding anything in the real version.
Wild painting left half
This painting’s so big, it’s been split into two halves! And both can be forgeries, so you’ll have to keep your wits about you. This artwork depicts the gods of thunder and wind, and this particular half depicts the wind god. If the wind god is colored white, it’s genuine. If it’s darker-colored, the painting isn’t real and you shouldn’t buy it!
Wild painting right half
It’s the same deal here, except the forgery is sort of the reverse of the left half. If the thunder god is colored green, it’s real, but if it’s colored white then it’s fake! Remember: the left half needs to be white and the right half needs to be green. Then you combine them to create the real painting!
Wistful painting
The wistful painting is a real-life piece called Girl with a Pearl Earring. This work can indeed be phony and said forgeries are actually kind of creepy. The girl’s eyes can close, and in certain instances, you can watch as her eyes open again. There’s also a fake version where her earring is star-shaped.
Worthy painting
The worthy painting is a piece called Liberty Leading the People. And it’s always genuine when it appears in Animal Crossing, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally purchasing a phony one! Also, this painting is kind of huge.
As you can see, there’s a ton of art to collect in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, so it’s going to take a long time to purchase all of this art legitimately. Of course, you could always time travel — find a day where Redd’s boat is present, purchase a piece of art, and then time travel to the next day. Then time travel one day prior and Redd will have a completely new inventory! Rinse and repeat as needed until your art museum is complete, or just wait it out — whichever you prefer. If you have any questions pertaining to Redd’s art and how it works in this game, feel free to drop by our Discord community! You can purchase art from Redd at other islands too, so keep that in mind if you happen to visit a friend’s town.
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