Jolly Redd, the sly fox art dealer, is a returning character in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, bringing with him a boatload of furniture and, more importantly, art. Avid players know that Redd’s visits are crucial for completing the museum’s art wing. However, be warned! Not everything Redd sells is genuine. He’s notorious for peddling forgeries alongside authentic masterpieces.
This guide will help you navigate the murky waters of Redd’s art collection. We’ll show you how to identify real art from fakes, ensuring your hard-earned Bells contribute to a stunning museum, not a pile of trash. Let’s dive into the world of Animal Crossing art and become savvy collectors!
Who is Jolly Redd and Why Does His Art Matter in ACNH?
Cousin Redd, or Jolly Redd as he’s commonly known, is a special visitor in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. He arrives on his “Treasure Trawler” to sell you furniture and, most excitingly, art. For players aiming to complete their museum, Redd is indispensable. Donating genuine artwork to Blathers is the only way to fill the museum’s art gallery, adding a touch of culture and prestige to your island.
However, Redd isn’t entirely trustworthy. He’s known for selling fake versions of famous paintings and sculptures. Buying a forgery means you’ll be stuck with a decorative item you can’t donate, making it essential to know how to spot the difference between real and fake art before you spend your precious Bells.
How to Unlock Redd and Find His Treasure Trawler
Before Redd graces your island with his presence, you’ll need to prepare your museum. First, ensure you’ve donated at least 60 items (fish, bugs, or fossils) to Blathers. Once you’ve reached this milestone, speak to Blathers. He will mention wanting to expand the museum to include an art gallery.
The day after this conversation, Isabelle will announce a suspicious art dealer during her morning broadcast. This is your cue that Redd has arrived! He will initially roam your island as a visitor. After your first purchase (which is guaranteed to be genuine), Redd will begin appearing randomly at the secret beach on the north shore of your island in his boat, the Treasure Trawler. You’ll likely need a ladder to access this secluded spot if you haven’t terraformed your island extensively.
Image: Jolly Redd attempting to sell artwork to an Animal Crossing villager.
Redd can also set up a permanent shop at Harv’s Island Plaza for a 100,000 Bell fee. Whether on his boat or Harv’s Island, Redd offers a rotating selection of art pieces, making each visit a new opportunity to expand your museum’s collection.
Buying Art from Redd: A Risky Business
When you enter Redd’s Treasure Trawler, you’ll find four art pieces and two furniture items for sale. A crucial rule to remember is that you can only buy one piece of art per day. Choose carefully! All four art pieces can potentially be fakes, or you might get lucky and find multiple genuine artworks.
Redd initially tries to sell you art at an exorbitant price, but he quickly offers a significant “discount” when you decline. The first piece of art you buy from Redd after unlocking him will always be genuine, ensuring you can kickstart your museum’s art wing.
Once you’ve made your purchase, the artwork will be mailed to your mailbox and arrive the next day. This adds an element of anticipation to your art collecting journey!
Spotting the Fakes: Your Ultimate ACNH Art Authentication Guide
The challenge, and arguably the fun, of buying art from Redd is discerning the real masterpieces from his cunning forgeries. Each fake artwork has a subtle but visible difference from its genuine counterpart. These differences are not always obvious and are often more challenging to spot than in previous Animal Crossing games.
To help you become an art authentication expert, we’ve compiled a detailed guide below, outlining the tell-tale signs of fake paintings and statues in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Study these carefully before you make a purchase to avoid buyer’s remorse and ensure your Bells are well spent!
Paintings Guide: Real vs. Fake ACNH Art
Here’s a comprehensive list of paintings sold by Redd, along with how to identify the fake versions:
Serene Painting (Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci)
Image: Comparison of the real and fake Serene Painting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, highlighting the ermine’s eyes.
- Real: The ermine held by the woman is pure white.
- Fake: The ermine has raccoon-like dark circles around its eyes.
Warm Painting (The Clothed Maja by Francisco de Goya)
Image: Confirmation that the Warm Painting is always genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. There is no fake version of the Warm Painting.
Wistful Painting (Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer)
Image: Comparison of the real and fake Wistful Painting in ACNH, focusing on the earring shape.
- Real: The girl wears a pearl earring.
- Fake: The earring is star-shaped. Another fake version exists where her eyes are closed, also with a star earring.
Academic Painting (Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci)
Image: Real vs. Fake Academic Painting in Animal Crossing, showing the coffee stain on the forgery.
- Real: Clean corners, no blemishes.
- Fake: Has a noticeable coffee stain in the top right corner.
Graceful Painting (Beauty Looking Back by Hishikawa Moronobu)
Image: Comparison of the real and fake Graceful Painting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, highlighting the white tag and direction.
- Real: Features a small white tag near the woman’s hair, and she faces to the right.
- Fake: No white tag. The woman may also be larger, or facing to the left in another fake version.
Calm Painting (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat)
Image: Confirmation that the Calm Painting is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version exists.
Flowery Painting (Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh)
Image: Confirmation that the Flowery Painting is always a real artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version available.
Jolly Painting (Summer by Giuseppe Arcimboldo)
Image: Comparison of the real and fake Jolly Painting in ACNH, pointing out the missing flower sprout.
- Real: Features a small sprout/flower on the subject’s chest.
- Fake: Missing the sprout on the chest.
Moody Painting (The Sower by Jean-François Millet)
Image: Confirmation that the Moody Painting is always a genuine piece of art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version exists.
Famous Painting (The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci)
Image: Real vs. Fake Famous Painting comparison in Animal Crossing, showing the presence of eyebrows on the fake.
- Real: The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.
- Fake: The Mona Lisa has distinct eyebrows.
Scary Painting (Ōtani Oniji the 3rd as Yakko Edobei by Tōshūsai Sharaku)
Image: Comparison of real and fake Scary Painting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, focusing on the eyebrows and mouth.
- Real: Has angry-looking eyebrows.
- Fake: Has sad-looking eyebrows. Another fake version may have him smiling with sad eyebrows.
Dynamic Painting (Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai)
Image: Confirmation that the Dynamic Painting is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Scenic Painting (The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder)
Image: Real vs. Fake Scenic Painting comparison in Animal Crossing, highlighting the missing hunters and dogs.
- Real: Shows hunters and dogs in the lower left corner.
- Fake: Missing the hunters and dogs.
Moving Painting (The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli)
Image: Real vs. Fake Moving Painting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, showing the missing trees in the fake.
- Real: Includes trees in the top right corner.
- Fake: Missing the trees in the top right corner.
Amazing Painting (The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn)
Image: Real vs. Fake Amazing Painting comparison in Animal Crossing, pointing out the missing hat.
- Real: The man in the front wears a hat.
- Fake: The man in the front is missing his hat.
Quaint Painting (The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer)
Image: Real vs. Fake Quaint Painting in Animal Crossing, highlighting the milk pouring difference.
- Real: The milkmaid pours a small stream of milk.
- Fake: The milkmaid pours a much larger, exaggerated stream of milk.
Solemn Painting (Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez)
Image: Real vs. Fake Solemn Painting comparison in Animal Crossing, showing the raised arm difference.
- Real: The man in the background has his arm lowered.
- Fake: The man in the background has his arm raised higher.
Basic Painting (The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough)
Image: Real vs. Fake Basic Painting in Animal Crossing, pointing out the difference in hair volume.
- Real: The boy has less hair.
- Fake: The boy has significantly more hair.
Worthy Painting (Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix)
Image: Confirmation that the Worthy Painting is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Glowing Painting (The Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord William Turner)
Image: Confirmation that the Glowing Painting is always a genuine piece of art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Common Painting (The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet)
Image: Confirmation that the Common Painting is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Sinking Painting (Ophelia by John Everett Millais)
Image: Confirmation that the Sinking Painting is always a genuine piece of art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Nice Painting (The Fifer by Édouard Manet)
Image: Confirmation that the Nice Painting is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Proper Painting (A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Édouard Manet)
Image: Confirmation that the Proper Painting is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Mysterious Painting (Isle of the Dead by Arnold Böcklin)
Image: Confirmation that the Mysterious Painting is always a genuine piece of art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Twinkling Painting (The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh)
Image: Confirmation that the Twinkling Painting is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Perfect Painting (Apples and Oranges by Paul Cézanne)
Image: Confirmation that the Perfect Painting is always a genuine piece of art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Wild Painting Left Half (Folding Screen of Fūjin and Raijin by Tawaraya Sōtatsu)
Image: Real vs. Fake Wild Painting Left Half in Animal Crossing, showing the difference in beast color.
- Real: The beast depicted is white.
- Fake: The beast is green.
Wild Painting Right Half (Folding Screen of Fūjin and Raijin by Tawaraya Sōtatsu)
Image: Comparison of the real and fake Wild Painting Right Half in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, highlighting the beast’s color.
- Real: The beast is green.
- Fake: The beast is white.
Detailed Painting (Ajisai Sōkeizu by Itō Jakuchū)
Image: Real vs. Fake Detailed Painting in Animal Crossing, showing foliage color and signature differences.
- Real: Features blue foliage and a signature on the left side.
- Fake: Has purple foliage and is missing the signature.
Statues Guide: Real vs. Fake ACNH Art
Here’s your guide to spotting fake statues from Redd:
Warrior Statue (Terracotta Warrior by Unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Warrior Statue in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, pointing out the shovel.
- Real: The warrior statue is empty-handed.
- Fake: The warrior is holding a shovel.
Motherly Statue (Capitoline Wolf by Unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Motherly Statue in Animal Crossing, highlighting the wolf’s tongue.
- Real: The wolf’s mouth is closed.
- Fake: The wolf has its tongue sticking out.
Beautiful Statue (Venus de Milo by Alexandros of Antioch)
Image: Real vs. Fake Beautiful Statue in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, showing the necklace.
- Real: The statue has no necklace.
- Fake: The statue is wearing a necklace.
Robust Statue (Discobolus by unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Robust Statue in Animal Crossing, pointing out the wristwatch.
- Real: The statue has bare arms.
- Fake: The statue is wearing a watch on his raised arm.
Gallant Statue (David by Michelangelo)
Image: Real vs. Fake Gallant Statue in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, showing the book.
- Real: David is empty-handed.
- Fake: David is holding a book under his arm.
Informative Statue (Rosetta Stone by Unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Informative Statue in Animal Crossing, highlighting the color difference.
- Real: The Rosetta Stone is black.
- Fake: The Rosetta Stone is blue.
Ancient Statue (Jōmon Period “Dogū” Figurine Shakōki-dogū by Unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Ancient Statue in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, showing the antennae.
- Real: The statue has no antennae.
- Fake: The statue has two antennae-like protrusions from its head. It may also have glowing blue eyes.
Tremendous Statue (Houmuwu Ding by Unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Tremendous Statue in Animal Crossing, showing the lid on the fake.
- Real: The ding is open at the top.
- Fake: The ding has a lid on top.
Mystic Statue (Bust of Nefertiti by Thutmose)
Image: Real vs. Fake Mystic Statue in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, highlighting the earring.
- Real: Nefertiti has no earring.
- Fake: Nefertiti is wearing an earring on her right ear (viewer’s left).
Rock-head Statue (Olmec Colossal Head by Unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Rock-head Statue in Animal Crossing, showing the smile.
- Real: The statue has a neutral, stern expression.
- Fake: The statue is smiling.
Valiant Statue (Nike of Samothrace by Unknown)
Image: Real vs. Fake Valiant Statue in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, pointing out the forward leg.
- Real: Nike’s right leg is forward.
- Fake: Nike’s left leg is forward.
Familiar Statue (The Thinker by Auguste Rodin)
Image: Confirmation that the Familiar Statue is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
Great Statue (King Kamehameha I by Thomas Ridgeway Gould)
Image: Confirmation that the Great Statue is always a genuine artwork in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
- Real: Always genuine. No fake version.
What to Do With Your Real and Fake Art Pieces
Once you’ve acquired art from Redd, you have a few options:
- Genuine Art: Donate real paintings and statues to Blathers at the museum to enrich your island’s cultural offerings and complete your museum collection.
- Fake Art: Forgeries cannot be donated to the museum. You can:
- Display them in your home or around your island: Embrace the irony of displaying a fake masterpiece! Some forgeries even have unique spooky effects at night.
- Dispose of them: If you don’t want them, use a trash can item to get rid of fake art. Timmy and Tommy at Nook’s Cranny won’t buy fakes.
Become an ACNH Art Expert!
With this guide, you are now equipped to confidently navigate Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler and discern real art from forgeries in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Happy art collecting, and may your museum soon be filled with magnificent masterpieces!
