Jolly Redd, the sly fox art dealer, is a recurring visitor in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, bringing with him a boatload of furniture and, more importantly, art pieces for sale. For avid collectors and museum enthusiasts, Redd’s visits are crucial for expanding the art wing of the museum. However, beware! Not everything Redd sells is genuine. He’s notorious for peddling forgeries alongside authentic artworks.
Understanding how to discern real art from fake is essential to avoid donating fraudulent pieces to Blathers and wasting precious Bells. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, focusing on how to identify genuine masterpieces from cunning counterfeits and effectively build your museum’s art collection.
Remember, you can only purchase one art piece from Redd per visit, making each choice significant. It’s entirely possible for Redd to stock only fake pieces, or, if you’re lucky, multiple genuine artworks. With 43 art pieces to collect for the museum, knowing how to spot a fake is your key to completing your collection efficiently. Once purchased, your chosen artwork will be delivered to your mailbox the following day.
Unlocking Jolly Redd and His Art Collection
Before Redd graces your island with his presence, you need to pave the way for his arrival by engaging with Blathers and expanding your museum. According to data mined information, Blathers will initiate the conversation about establishing an art exhibit once you’ve contributed at least 60 donations to the museum, which can be fish, bugs, or fossils.
The day after your conversation with Blathers about art, Isabelle will mention “shady art dealers” during her morning announcements, signaling Redd’s imminent arrival. Following this announcement, Redd will begin to appear randomly on your island, ready to conduct his business.
Alt Text: Jolly Redd, the fox art dealer in Animal Crossing, attempting to sell artwork to a villager, highlighting the humorous and sometimes suspect nature of his business.
Upon your first encounter with Redd, he’ll attempt to sell you a painting for an exorbitant price of 498,000 Bells. However, upon declining this initial offer, he’ll dramatically offer a “discount,” reducing the price to a much more reasonable 4,980 Bells. This first piece of art he sells you will always be genuine, ensuring you can kickstart your museum’s art wing.
Donate this inaugural artwork to Blathers. He will then express his enthusiasm for opening an art exhibit, leading to the museum being closed for renovations the next day. Two days after donating your first piece, the museum will reopen with a brand-new art exhibit, and Redd will begin appearing on your island randomly, bringing his art wares.
Finding Redd’s Treasure Trawler
Redd’s shop isn’t a permanent building; instead, he arrives on a boat, the “Treasure Trawler,” which docks at the secret beach located on the northern shore of your island. This secluded beach is typically at the rear of your island, and if you haven’t terraformed extensively, you’ll likely need a ladder to access it.
Redd’s boat appearances are random, similar to other visiting merchants like Kicks and Flick. There’s no fixed schedule, so you’ll need to check your island each day to see if his ship has arrived.
In addition to his random island visits, Redd can also set up shop permanently at Harv’s Island Plaza for a fee of 100,000 Bells. When Redd is stationed at Harv’s Island, he will display two art pieces daily, and both can be either genuine or fake. Just like on his boat, you can still only purchase one piece of art per day, regardless of whether you visit him on your island or Harv’s Island. The art stock at Harv’s Island refreshes daily after a purchase, or weekly on Mondays if no purchase is made.
Navigating the Art Market: Real vs. Fake
All of Redd’s artworks are inspired by real-world paintings and sculptures. The challenge lies in identifying the subtle differences between genuine pieces and Redd’s clever forgeries. These distinctions can be quite nuanced and are often more difficult to spot than in previous Animal Crossing games.
Redd has indeed “upped his game,” making forgery detection a keen eye test. Remember that the telltale signs for fakes are unique to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and differ from those in Animal Crossing: New Leaf.
The following sections provide detailed guides on how to distinguish between real and fake versions of each painting and statue available from Redd. Pay close attention to the specific discrepancies, as they are crucial for making informed art purchases and completing your museum collection with authentic masterpieces.
Complete Guide to Paintings: Spotting the Fakes
This section provides a comprehensive list of paintings available from Redd, along with clear visual comparisons and descriptions to help you identify the forgeries.
Serene Painting
(Original Artwork: Lady with an Ermine by Leonardo da Vinci)
Alt Text: Side-by-side comparison of the real and fake Serene Painting in Animal Crossing, emphasizing the difference in the ermine’s eyes to help players identify forgeries.
Real: The ermine held by the lady is pure white.
Fake: The ermine has raccoon-like dark circles around its eyes.
Warm Painting
(Original Artwork: The Clothed Maja by Francisco de Goya)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Warm Painting in Animal Crossing is always real, assuring players of its authenticity when purchased from Redd.
Always Real: You can always trust the Warm Painting to be genuine.
Wistful Painting
(Original Artwork: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer)
Alt Text: Visual guide showing the real and fake Wistful Painting in Animal Crossing, highlighting the earring shape difference for forgery detection.
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
(Original Artwork: Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci)
Alt Text: Real vs fake Academic Painting in Animal Crossing, pointing out the coffee stain as the key indicator of a forgery.
Real: Clean corner, no markings.
Fake: Has a noticeable coffee stain in the corner.
Graceful Painting
(Original Artwork: Beauty Looking Back by Hishikawa Moronobu)
Alt Text: Visual comparison of the Graceful Painting in Animal Crossing, showing the presence or absence of a white tag to distinguish between real and fake versions.
Real: Features a white tag near the woman’s hair.
Fake: Lacks the white tag. The woman might also appear larger, or be facing left instead of right.
Calm Painting
(Original Artwork: A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Calm Painting in Animal Crossing is always authentic, providing reassurance to players seeking genuine artwork.
Always Real: The Calm Painting is always a genuine piece.
Flowery Painting
(Original Artwork: Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Flowery Painting in Animal Crossing is always real, helping players confidently purchase this artwork.
Always Real: You can always rely on the Flowery Painting’s authenticity.
Jolly Painting
(Original Artwork: Summer by Giuseppe Arcimboldo)
Alt Text: Real versus fake Jolly Painting in Animal Crossing, focusing on the presence or absence of a sprout on the subject’s chest as a forgery indicator.
Real: Features a sprout or flower on the subject’s chest.
Fake: Missing the sprout on the chest.
Moody Painting
(Original Artwork: The Sower by Jean-François Millet)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Moody Painting in Animal Crossing is always genuine, assuring players of its authenticity for museum donation.
Always Real: The Moody Painting is always a genuine artwork.
Famous Painting
(Original Artwork: The Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci)
Alt Text: Side-by-side images of real and fake Famous Painting in Animal Crossing, highlighting the presence of eyebrows on the fake Mona Lisa.
Real: The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows.
Fake: The Mona Lisa is depicted with prominent eyebrows.
Scary Painting
(Original Artwork: Ōtani Oniji the 3rd as Yakko Edobei by Tōshūsai Sharaku)
Alt Text: Guide to differentiating real and fake Scary Painting in Animal Crossing by focusing on eyebrow expression – angry vs. sad or smiling.
Real: The subject has angry-looking eyebrows.
Fake: The eyebrows appear sad or droopy. Another fake version may depict him smiling, but with sad eyebrows.
Dynamic Painting
(Original Artwork: Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Dynamic Painting in Animal Crossing is always authentic, making it a safe purchase for museum collectors.
Always Real: The Dynamic Painting is guaranteed to be genuine.
Scenic Painting
(Original Artwork: The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder)
Alt Text: Real and fake Scenic Painting comparison in Animal Crossing, highlighting the missing hunters and dogs in the forgery.
Real: Depicts hunters and dogs in the snowy scene.
Fake: Missing a hunter and some dogs from the winter landscape.
Moving Painting
(Original Artwork: The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli)
Alt Text: Forgery detection guide for the Moving Painting in Animal Crossing, showing the absence of trees in the top right corner of the fake.
Real: Includes trees in the top right corner of the painting.
Fake: Missing trees in the upper right portion of the artwork.
Amazing Painting
(Original Artwork: The Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn)
Alt Text: Guide to spotting fake Amazing Painting in Animal Crossing, focusing on whether the central figure is wearing a hat.
Real: The man in the front is wearing a hat.
Fake: The man at the forefront is missing his hat.
Quaint Painting
(Original Artwork: The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer)
Alt Text: Comparing real and fake Quaint Painting in Animal Crossing based on the milk flow – more milk indicates a forgery.
Real: The milkmaid is pouring a modest amount of milk.
Fake: The milkmaid is pouring a significantly larger stream of milk.
Solemn Painting
(Original Artwork: Las Meninas by Diego Velázquez)
Alt Text: Identifying fake Solemn Painting in Animal Crossing by observing the background man’s arm position – raised arm signifies a forgery.
Real: The man in the background has his arm lowered.
Fake: The man in the background has his arm raised higher.
Basic Painting
(Original Artwork: The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough)
Alt Text: Real vs fake Basic Painting in Animal Crossing, distinguishing them by the amount of hair on the Blue Boy – more hair indicates a forgery.
Real: The blue boy has less hair.
Fake: The blue boy is depicted with more hair.
Worthy Painting
(Original Artwork: Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Worthy Painting in Animal Crossing is always genuine, providing players with a guaranteed authentic art piece.
Always Real: The Worthy Painting is always authentic.
Glowing Painting
(Original Artwork: The Fighting Temeraire by Joseph Mallord William Turner)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Glowing Painting’s authenticity in Animal Crossing, ensuring players can trust its genuineness for their museum.
Always Real: The Glowing Painting is always genuine.
Common Painting
(Original Artwork: The Gleaners by Jean-François Millet)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Common Painting is always authentic in Animal Crossing, making it a reliable choice for museum donations.
Always Real: The Common Painting is always a real piece of art.
Sinking Painting
(Original Artwork: Ophelia by John Everett Millais)
Alt Text: Image to confirm that the Sinking Painting is always genuine in Animal Crossing, assuring players of its authenticity.
Always Real: The Sinking Painting is always genuine.
Nice Painting
(Original Artwork: The Fifer by Édouard Manet)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Nice Painting in Animal Crossing is always real, making it a dependable addition to the museum’s art collection.
Always Real: The Nice Painting is always genuine.
Proper Painting
(Original Artwork: A Bar at the Folies-Bergère by Édouard Manet)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Proper Painting in Animal Crossing is always authentic, ensuring players can confidently purchase it from Redd.
Always Real: The Proper Painting is always genuine.
Mysterious Painting
(Original Artwork: Isle of the Dead by Arnold Böcklin)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Mysterious Painting in Animal Crossing is always real, making it a trustworthy find from Redd’s art selection.
Always Real: The Mysterious Painting is always genuine.
Twinkling Painting
(Original Artwork: The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Twinkling Painting in Animal Crossing is always authentic, providing players with a secure museum artwork option.
Always Real: The Twinkling Painting is always genuine.
Perfect Painting
(Original Artwork: Apples and Oranges by Paul Cézanne)
Alt Text: Image confirming the Perfect Painting is always genuine in Animal Crossing, ensuring players it’s a real artwork for their collection.
Always Real: The Perfect Painting is always genuine.
Wild Painting Left Half
(Original Artwork: Folding Screen of Fūjin and Raijin by Tawaraya Sōtatsu)
Alt Text: Guide to identifying fake Wild Painting Left Half in Animal Crossing, noting the beast’s color – white is real, green is fake.
Real: The beast depicted is white.
Fake: The beast is colored green instead of white.
Wild Painting Right Half
(Original Artwork: Folding Screen of Fūjin and Raijin by Tawaraya Sōtatsu)
Alt Text: Real versus fake Wild Painting Right Half in Animal Crossing, pointing out the beast’s color – green is real, white is fake.
Real: The beast is green in color.
Fake: The beast is white, when it should be green.
Detailed Painting
(Original Artwork: Ajisai Sōkeizu by Itō Jakuchū)
Alt Text: Forgery guide for the Detailed Painting in Animal Crossing, focusing on foliage color and the presence of a signature for authenticity check.
Real: Features blue foliage and a signature on the left side.
Fake: Has purple foliage instead of blue and is missing the signature on the left.
Complete Guide to Statues: Spotting the Fakes
This section details all the statues Redd offers, providing visual cues and descriptions to help you differentiate between authentic and fake sculptures.
Warrior Statue
(Original Artwork: Terracotta Warrior by Unknown)
Alt Text: Real vs fake Warrior Statue in Animal Crossing, highlighting whether the statue is holding a shovel to identify forgeries.
Real: The statue is empty-handed, not holding any item.
Fake: The statue is holding a shovel.
Motherly Statue
(Original Artwork: Capitoline Wolf by Unknown)
Alt Text: Guide to spotting fake Motherly Statue in Animal Crossing, checking for a tongue sticking out to differentiate from the real statue.
Real: The wolf’s mouth is closed, no tongue is visible.
Fake: The wolf has its tongue sticking out.
Beautiful Statue
(Original Artwork: Venus de Milo by Alexandros of Antioch)
Alt Text: Real versus fake Beautiful Statue in Animal Crossing, focusing on the presence of a necklace to identify the forgery.
Real: The statue does not wear any jewelry.
Fake: The statue is wearing a necklace.
Robust Statue
(Original Artwork: Discobolus by unknown)
Alt Text: Forgery detection guide for the Robust Statue in Animal Crossing, checking for a wristwatch on the raised arm to identify fakes.
Real: The statue has nothing on its arms.
Fake: The statue is wearing a watch on his raised arm.
Gallant Statue
(Original Artwork: David by Michelangelo)
Alt Text: Real versus fake Gallant Statue in Animal Crossing, highlighting the presence of a book under the arm as a sign of forgery.
Real: The statue is empty-handed, not holding any item.
Fake: The statue is holding a book under his arm.
Informative Statue
(Original Artwork: Rosetta Stone by Unknown)
Alt Text: Guide to spotting fake Informative Statue in Animal Crossing, focusing on the color – black is real, blue is fake.
Real: The Rosetta Stone is black.
Fake: The Rosetta Stone is blue.
Ancient Statue
(Original Artwork: Jōmon Period “Dogū” Figurine Shakōki-dogū by Unknown)
Alt Text: Real versus fake Ancient Statue in Animal Crossing, identifying antennas and glowing eyes as indicators of a forgery.
Real: The statue has no antennas and no glowing eyes.
Fake: The statue has two antennas protruding from its head. It may also have blue glowing eyes.
Tremendous Statue
(Original Artwork: Houmuwu Ding by Unknown)
Alt Text: Forgery guide for the Tremendous Statue in Animal Crossing, checking for a lid – a lid indicates a fake statue.
Real: The ding is open at the top, without a lid.
Fake: The ding has a lid on top.
Mystic Statue
(Original Artwork: Bust of Nefertiti by Thutmose)
Alt Text: Real vs fake Mystic Statue in Animal Crossing, identifying an earring on the right ear (viewer’s left) as a sign of forgery.
Real: The bust has no earring.
Fake: The bust has an earring on her right ear (viewer’s left).
Rock-head Statue
(Original Artwork: Olmec Colossal Head by Unknown)
Alt Text: Forgery detection guide for the Rock-head Statue in Animal Crossing, checking if the statue is smiling – a smile indicates a fake.
Real: The statue has a neutral or serious expression.
Fake: The statue is smiling.
Valiant Statue
(Original Artwork: Nike of Samothrace by Unknown)
Alt Text: Real versus fake Valiant Statue in Animal Crossing, distinguishing them by which leg is forward – right leg forward is real, left leg forward is fake.
Real: Nike’s right leg is positioned forward.
Fake: Nike’s left leg is forward instead of the right.
Familiar Statue
(Original Artwork: The Thinker by Auguste Rodin)
Alt Text: Image to confirm that the Familiar Statue is always genuine in Animal Crossing, making it a reliable choice for museum donations.
Always Real: The Familiar Statue is always genuine.
Great Statue
(Original Artwork: King Kamehameha I by Thomas Ridgeway Gould)
Alt Text: Image to confirm that the Great Statue is always genuine in Animal Crossing, ensuring players can trust its authenticity.
Always Real: The Great Statue is always genuine.
What to Do With Your Art
Once you’ve successfully purchased art from Redd, you have a few options:
- Donate to the Museum: If the artwork is genuine, you can donate it to Blathers to expand the art wing of your museum. This is the primary goal for most art collectors in Animal Crossing.
- Decorate Your Island or Home: Both real and fake art can be used as decorative items. Paintings can be hung inside your house, while statues can be placed both indoors and outdoors on your island. Even forgeries can add a unique, albeit less prestigious, touch to your décor.
- Dispose of Fakes: Timmy and Tommy at Nook’s Cranny will not purchase fake art. If you don’t want to display a forgery, you’ll need to use a trash can furniture item to dispose of it. Alternatively, you could bury it or leave it for a visitor as a humorous “gift.”
Become an Art Expert in Animal Crossing
Collecting art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a rewarding endeavor, allowing you to enrich your museum and enhance the aesthetic appeal of your island. By using this guide and carefully inspecting each artwork Redd offers, you can confidently navigate the art market, acquire genuine masterpieces, and become a true art connoisseur in your virtual world. Happy collecting!
