Jolly Redd, the sly art and furniture dealer, is a returning favorite in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, bringing a touch of intrigue and a boatload of goods to your island. But beware, not everything Redd offers is what it seems! This comprehensive guide will help you navigate Redd’s treasures, distinguish genuine masterpieces from cunning forgeries, and make the most of his visits to enhance your museum and home decor.
Redd’s boat is stocked with four unique art pieces, alongside a couple of furniture items. Just like in previous Animal Crossing games, some of these artworks are authentic and can be donated to Blathers at the museum, while others are fakes, purely for decorative (or deceptive) purposes. Choose wisely, as you can only purchase one piece of art per visit! It’s entirely possible for Redd to offer a boat full of fakes, or you might strike gold with multiple genuine artworks. In total, there are 43 art pieces to collect and donate to complete your museum’s art wing.
Once you make a purchase from Redd, your chosen artwork will be delivered to your mailbox the following day.
Paintings Available from Redd
| Painting Name | Real-World Artwork | Fake Version Differences |
|---|---|---|
| Serene Painting | Lady with an Ermine (Da Vinci) | Fake ermine has raccoon-like circles around its eyes. |
| Warm Painting | The Clothed Maja (Goya) | Always genuine. |
| Wistful Painting | Girl with a Pearl Earring (Vermeer) | Fake has a star-shaped earring instead of a pearl. Another fake version has eyes closed and star earring. |
| Academic Painting | Vitruvian Man (Da Vinci) | Fake has a coffee stain in the corner. |
| Graceful Painting | Beauty Looking Back (Moronobu) | Fake lacks a white tag near her hair. Woman is larger. Another fake version faces left instead of right. |
| Calm Painting | A Sunday Afternoon (Seurat) | Always genuine. |
| Flowery Painting | Sunflowers (Van Gogh) | Always genuine. |
| Jolly Painting | Summer (Arcimboldo) | Fake is missing the sprout on the subject’s chest. |
| Moody Painting | The Sower (Millet) | Always genuine. |
| Famous Painting | Mona Lisa (Da Vinci) | Fake has eyebrows. |
| Scary Painting | Ōtani Oniji III (Sharaku) | Fake has sad-looking eyebrows. Another fake version may be smiling with sad eyebrows. |
| Dynamic Painting | The Great Wave (Hokusai) | Always genuine. |
| Scenic Painting | The Hunters in the Snow (Bruegel) | Fake is missing a hunter and some dogs. |
| Moving Painting | The Birth of Venus (Botticelli) | Fake is missing trees in the top right corner. |
| Amazing Painting | The Night Watch (Rembrandt) | Man in front of fake is missing his hat. |
| Quaint Painting | The Milkmaid (Vermeer) | Fake woman pours significantly more milk. |
| Solemn Painting | Las Meninas (Velázquez) | Man in background of fake raises his arm higher. |
| Basic Painting | The Blue Boy (Gainsborough) | Fake boy has more hair. |
| Worthy Painting | Liberty Leading (Delacroix) | Always genuine. |
| Glowing Painting | The Fighting Temeraire (Turner) | Always genuine. |
| Common Painting | The Gleaners (Millet) | Always genuine. |
| Sinking Painting | Ophelia (Millais) | Always genuine. |
| Nice Painting | The Fifer (Manet) | Always genuine. |
| Proper Painting | A Bar at the Folies-Bergère (Manet) | Always genuine. |
| Mysterious Painting | Isle of the Dead (Böcklin) | Always genuine. |
| Twinkling Painting | The Starry Night (Van Gogh) | Always genuine. |
| Perfect Painting | Apples and Oranges (Cézanne) | Always genuine. |
| Wild Painting Left Half | Folding Screen (Sōtatsu) | Fake beast is green; real is white. |
| Wild Painting Right Half | Folding Screen (Sōtatsu) | Fake beast is white; real is green. |
| Detailed Painting | Ajisai Sōkeizu (Jakuchū) | Fake has purple foliage instead of blue and is missing signature on the left. |
Statues Available from Redd
| Statue Name | Real-World Artwork | Fake Version Differences |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior Statue | Terracotta Warrior (Unknown) | Fake holds a shovel. Real statue holds nothing. |
| Motherly Statue | Capitoline Wolf (Unknown) | Fake wolf has tongue sticking out. |
| Beautiful Statue | Venus de Milo (Alexandros) | Fake wears a necklace. |
| Robust Statue | Discobolus (Unknown) | Fake wears a watch on his raised arm. |
| Gallant Statue | David (Michelangelo) | Fake holds a book under his arm. |
| Informative Statue | Rosetta Stone (Unknown) | Fake is blue; real is black. |
| Ancient Statue | Shakōki-dogū (Unknown) | Fake has two antennas on its head. May also have glowing blue eyes. |
| Tremendous Statue | Houmuwu Ding (Unknown) | Fake has a lid. Real statue is open at the top. |
| Mystic Statue | Bust of Nefertiti (Thutmose) | Fake has an earring on her right ear (viewer’s left). |
| Rock-head Statue | Olmec Colossal Head (Unknown) | Fake is smiling. |
| Valiant Statue | Nike of Samothrace (Unknown) | Fake has left leg forward; real has right leg forward. |
| Familiar Statue | The Thinker (Rodin) | Always genuine. |
| Great Statue | King Kamehameha I (Gould) | Always genuine. |
Finding Redd on Your Island and Harv’s Island
To unlock Redd’s appearances, you first need to nurture your island’s cultural scene. Blathers, the museum curator, needs to be prompted to consider an art exhibit. This conversation will trigger once you’ve generously donated at least 60 items to the museum – be it fish, bugs, or fossils. The day after Blathers expresses interest in art, Isabelle will mention “shady art dealers” in her morning announcements, signaling Redd’s imminent arrival. Following this, Redd will begin to appear randomly on your island, roaming around and ready to make a deal.
Jolly Redd trying to sell fake art in Animal Crossing
Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon. Alt text: Jolly Redd, the fox art dealer in Animal Crossing, attempts to sell artwork to a villager.
When you first encounter Redd, he’ll try to sell you a painting for an exorbitant 498,000 Bells. Politely decline his initial offer, and he’ll quickly offer a “discounted” price of 4,980 Bells for your first genuine artwork. Purchase this piece and donate it to Blathers. He will then announce plans to open an art exhibit, closing the museum for renovations the next day. Two days later, the upgraded museum with the art wing will open, and Redd will begin visiting your island more regularly on his boat.
Redd’s “Treasure Trawler” docks at the secret beach located on the northern shore of your island. This secluded spot, tucked away at the back of your island, often requires a ladder to access if you haven’t already terraformed the area.
Redd’s boat appearances are sporadic, much like other traveling merchants such as Kicks and Flick. The exact frequency and any specific prerequisites beyond upgrading Resident Services are still somewhat unclear.
For a more reliable way to access Redd, you can invite him to set up shop at Harv’s Island Plaza for a 100,000 Bells investment. At Harv’s Island, Redd will display two art pieces daily, which can be either genuine or fake. Keep in mind, the one-artwork-per-day purchase limit still applies. The art selection at Harv’s Island refreshes daily after a purchase or weekly on Mondays if no purchase is made.
What to Do With Art from Redd
Genuine artworks are invaluable for enriching your museum collection. Donating real paintings and statues to Blathers expands the museum’s art wing, providing educational and aesthetic enjoyment for your island residents and visitors.
Art, whether real or fake, can also serve as unique furniture items to decorate your home. Statues, in particular, can be placed outdoors to enhance your island’s landscape.
Fake artworks, however, cannot be donated to the museum or sold to Timmy and Tommy at Nook’s Cranny. If you wish to discard a fake, you’ll need to use a Trash Can furniture item. Alternatively, embrace the kitsch and display your forgeries to playfully deceive your less discerning guests!
Spotting the Difference: Real vs. Fake Art
Redd’s art collection is based on real-world masterpieces, but his forgeries are cleverly disguised to resemble the authentic pieces. Each fake artwork contains a distinct, visible difference from its genuine counterpart.
Identifying fakes in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is notably more challenging than in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The discrepancies are subtler and require a keen eye. Careful observation and comparison to images of the real artworks are essential before making a purchase from Redd.
This guide provides detailed descriptions and visual comparisons to help you discern real art from Redd’s fakes. Refer to the lists of paintings and statues above, paying close attention to the “Fake Version Differences” column and the accompanying images. By studying these details, you’ll be well-equipped to become a discerning art collector in Animal Crossing and avoid being fooled by Jolly Redd’s forgeries.
(Please note: While this guide is based on in-game textures and community findings, variations in fake artworks may exist. Always inspect each piece carefully before purchasing.)
