You’ve seen the smoky lanterns. You’ve heard the sketchy music. And then there’s that sly fox, Redd, standing in the middle of his "Treasure Trawler" trying to sell you a masterpiece for a handful of Bells. If you’ve spent any time on your island lately, you know the sinking feeling of realizing you just handed over your hard-earned currency for a counterfeit. Determining whether your animal crossing artwork real or fake is a rite of passage, but honestly, it’s one that gets more complicated the longer you play.
Redd is a professional. He knows exactly how to tweak a classic painting just enough to fool someone who’s rushing to fill their museum. Blathers, on the other hand, has zero tolerance for forgeries. If you bring him a fake, he’ll give you that disappointed hoot and send you on your way. But here’s the thing—some of the fakes are actually cooler than the originals. We’re talking about haunted statues that float and paintings that blink at you when the sun goes down.
Why Spotting the Difference is So Tricky
It isn’t just about looking at a picture. Nintendo designers were incredibly specific with these. They didn't just make the fakes "bad"; they made them off. Sometimes it’s the color of a flower. Sometimes it’s the shape of an earring. If you aren't zooming in—like, really getting your nose against the screen—you're going to miss it.
Take the Wistful Painting, which is actually Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. In the real version, she’s wearing a round pearl. Simple, right? But in the fake, that pearl is shaped like a star. It’s a tiny detail that’s easy to gloss over if you’re just skimming the room. And it gets weirder. If you buy the star-earring version and hang it in your house, she’ll actually close her eyes at night.
The Paintings That Are Always Safe
Before we get into the nightmare fuel of the haunted pieces, let’s talk about the "sure things." Not every piece of art has a forgery. If you see these on Redd’s boat, you can breathe a sigh of relief and just buy them. No inspection needed.
📖 Related: Why the Among the Sleep Mom is Still Gaming's Most Uncomfortable Horror Twist
- Calm Painting (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte)
- Common Painting (The Gleaners)
- Dynamic Painting (Great Wave off Kanagawa)
- Flowery Painting (Sunflowers)
- Glowing Painting (The Fighting Temeraire)
- Moody Painting (The Sower)
- Mysterious Painting (Isle of the Dead)
- Nice Painting (The Fifer)
- Perfect Painting (Apples and Oranges)
- Proper Painting (A Bar at the Folies-Bergère)
- Sinking Painting (Ophelia)
- Twinkling Painting (The Starry Night)
- Worthy Painting (Liberty Leading the People)
Basically, if it’s one of these, Redd isn't scamming you for once. But these are the minority. Most of the time, you're going to have to do some detective work.
How to Tell Animal Crossing Artwork Real or Fake
The differences usually fall into a few categories: size, color, missing objects, or weird additions.
Let's look at the Serene Painting (Da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine). In the real one, the ermine is white. In the fake, the animal has a dark, mask-like circle around its eyes—it looks suspiciously like a raccoon, or maybe even Tom Nook himself. It’s a cheeky nod from the developers, but it’ll cost you a museum donation slot if you don't catch it.
Then there’s the Academic Painting. It looks like the Vitruvian Man. The fake has a coffee stain in the top right corner. It’s such a human mistake, like someone was grading papers and set their mug down on a Renaissance masterpiece. If you see that ring, walk away.
👉 See also: Appropriate for All Gamers NYT: The Real Story Behind the Most Famous Crossword Clue
The "Haunted" Items You Might Actually Want
Most players want to finish the museum. That's the goal. But a sub-culture of Animal Crossing players actually prefers the fakes because of the hauntings. These aren't just "wrong" versions; they're animated.
The Ancient Statue is a great example. The real one is just a stone figure. The fake one has antennae sticking out of its head. That’s the giveaway. But here’s the catch: at night, the fake statue's eyes glow blue, and if you interact with it, the thing actually levitates. It’s perfect for a "secret lab" or a "cursed forest" theme on your island.
Another creepy one is the Graceful Painting. In the real version, the woman is looking back and occupies the bottom two-thirds of the canvas. The fake version is much larger, taking up almost the whole frame. If it’s the "haunted" fake, she’ll actually turn her head to follow you, and if you look at the back of the canvas, there's a human-shaped shadow or "stain." It's genuinely unsettling for a game that’s usually about picking fruit and talking to cats.
The Secret to Using Harv's Island
Since the 2.0 update back in the day, we aren't just limited to when Redd's boat decided to show up at the secret beach once every two weeks. You can unlock his stall at the co-op on Harv's Island. This changed everything for collectors.
✨ Don't miss: Stuck on the Connections hint June 13? Here is how to solve it without losing your mind
Redd stocks two items there. If you buy one (even a fake), he replaces it the very next day. If you don’t buy anything, he keeps the same stock all week. This means if you have the Bells to burn, you should buy the fakes just to "cycle" the inventory. It's the fastest way to hunt down that one elusive Great Statue or Valiant Statue you’re missing.
Common Mistakes Even Veterans Make
One of the hardest ones to spot is the Wild Painting (Left and Right halves). This is a two-part screen featuring the Wind and Thunder Gods. The color swap is what gets people. On the Left Half, the god should be white. If he’s green, it’s a fake. On the Right Half, it’s the opposite—he should be green. If he’s white, it’s a fake. People get these mixed up constantly because the colors are just swapped between the two halves.
Also, watch out for the Famous Painting (Mona Lisa). The fake version has her eyebrows arched in a way that makes her look angry or surprised. In the real one, her eyebrows are almost non-existent, just like the real painting in the Louvre. It’s subtle, but once you see the "angry" Mona Lisa, you can’t unsee it.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Visit
When you see the Treasure Trawler on your map, don't just run in and click "buy."
- Use the Zoom: Always use the "take a closer look" option. The game lets you move the camera around. Use it.
- Check the Backs: For paintings like the Academic or Graceful, checking the back can reveal keys or "shadows" that confirm a forgery.
- Cross-Reference: If you’re unsure, look at the real-world counterpart. Nintendo used the actual historical versions as the "real" ones. If something looks different from what you'd see in a history book, it's a fake.
- Buy Fakes on Purpose: If you're building a haunted house or a "fake art market" area on your island, the forgeries are actually more valuable to you than the real ones because you can't give the real ones to villagers or sell them easily once the museum is full anyway.
If you're stuck with a fake you don't want, remember that the Nooks won't buy it. You'll have to either use a trash can furniture item to throw it away or mail it to a villager you don't particularly like. Just don't expect a thank-you note for a haunted painting that blinks at them in their sleep.