You’ve seen him. That beat-up, dimly lit "Treasure Trawler" anchored at the secret beach behind your island’s cliffs. Inside, the music is unnerving. The lighting is terrible. And there stands Redd, a fox who’s definitely not your cousin, trying to sell you a masterpiece for a "family discount" of 4,980 Bells. Among the statues and the portraits, one piece always catches the eye: the Animal Crossing detailed painting.
It’s actually the Rooster and Hen with Hydrangeas by Ito Jakuchu. In the real world, it’s a stunning example of the Doshu-sai style from the Edo period. In the game? It’s a potential trap.
Most players just want to finish their museum wing. Blathers is picky. He won’t accept fakes. And honestly, looking at the animal crossing detailed painting is one of the more stressful moments in New Horizons because the difference between a genuine work of art and a useless piece of canvas is literally one leaf.
How to Spot the Animal Crossing Detailed Painting Fake
Redd is a crook. We know this. But he's a consistent crook. When you're staring at the animal crossing detailed painting, you need to ignore the colors. Ignore the frame. You have to look at the flowers.
In the genuine version of the painting, the hydrangeas are blue. They’re vibrant. They’re lush. But that’s not the giveaway. The real tell is on the right side of the painting. Specifically, look at the flowers. If they are blue, you’re probably safe. But wait. If the flowers are purple? That’s a fake.
Wait, let me double-check that. Actually, the most famous "fake" version of this painting in New Horizons involves the color of the flowers. In the real-life Rooster and Hen with Hydrangeas, the flowers are a distinct, cool blue. Redd’s counterfeit version swaps those out for a reddish-purple hue. It’s a subtle shift. If you’re playing on a handheld Switch Lite or your TV’s color saturation is cranked up too high, it’s remarkably easy to get fooled.
You have to zoom in. Use the "take a closer look" prompt. If you see purple, walk away. Or buy it for your house if you like purple, I guess. But Blathers will just look at you with that judgmental owl stare and tell you it’s a forgery. It’s embarrassing.
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The Real-World History of Ito Jakuchu
Why did Nintendo choose this specific piece? Ito Jakuchu wasn’t just any painter. He was a Japanese artist of the mid-Edo period who was obsessed with the natural world. He spent years observing chickens. Yes, chickens. He would let them roam his garden and just watch them for hours to capture their movement and the specific way light hit their feathers.
This painting is part of a 30-scroll set called Doshaku Saie (Colorful Realm of Living Beings). It took him a decade to finish the whole series. When you look at the animal crossing detailed painting in-game, you’re seeing a tiny digital recreation of a masterpiece that represents 18th-century "eccentric" Japanese art. Jakuchu was known for prizm-like detail. He used a technique called back-painting where he applied color to the reverse side of the silk to give the front a glowing effect.
Redd doesn't do back-painting. Redd does scams.
The Haunted Secret No One Tells You
Animal Crossing has a weird history with haunted art. Some paintings move. Some statues float at night. People always ask if the animal crossing detailed painting is one of the haunted ones.
The short answer is: no. It’s just a painting.
But there’s a psychological haunting to it. Because it’s so "detailed," hence the name, it’s one of the few pieces where the forgery isn't immediately obvious like the Wistful Painting (where the girl has a star-shaped earring) or the Scary Painting (where the man has eyebrows pointing the wrong way). The detailed painting relies on your ability to distinguish color tones.
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If you bought a fake, you’re stuck with it. You can’t sell it to Timmy and Tommy. They have ethics, apparently. You can’t donate it. You’re basically left with three options:
- Put it in a trash can (literally).
- Give it to a villager you hate (they might actually like it, which is worse).
- Display it in your house and pretend you meant to buy a "reinterpretation" of Jakuchu's work.
Does the Painting Actually Matter for Your Island Rating?
People obsess over the museum. I get it. I’ve spent way too many hours chasing a single bug. But does having the real animal crossing detailed painting actually boost your island’s star rating more than a fake one?
Technically, no. Your island rating is a numbers game. It looks at "furniture" points and "nature" points. A fake painting placed outside counts as furniture. A real painting donated to the museum counts toward your museum's completion, which is a separate milestone but doesn't directly pump your 5-star rating the way planting 500 flowers does.
However, completing the art gallery is the only way to get that gold museum plaque. If you're a completionist, the animal crossing detailed painting is a major hurdle because Redd’s inventory is randomized. You might not see him for two weeks, and when he finally shows up, he might have four fakes. It’s frustrating. It’s the grind.
The Best Way to Get the Real Painting Fast
Don't wait for the boat. Honestly, the boat is a waste of time. If you’ve unlocked Harv’s Island and the plaza in the back, you need to invest in Redd’s stall immediately. It costs 100,000 Bells to set him up there.
Once he’s on Harv's Island, he rotates his stock every single week. Even better, if you buy one of his items (even a fake one), he will replace it with a new item the very next day. This is the "cycling" method.
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- Go to Harv's Island.
- Check the two art pieces.
- If the animal crossing detailed painting isn't there, buy the cheapest fake.
- Check back tomorrow.
- Repeat until the blue flowers appear.
This is much more efficient than waiting for the Trawler to spawn at your secret beach once every blue moon. Plus, you get to support the "local economy" of a sketchy fox living in a trailer.
Summary of the Details
| Feature | Real Painting | Fake Painting |
|---|---|---|
| Flower Color | Vibrant Blue | Purple / Reddish-Violet |
| Leaves | Precise, jagged edges | Slightly blurred or simplified |
| Blathers' Reaction | "A magnificent discovery!" | "I'm afraid this is a forgery." |
It’s worth noting that in previous games like New Leaf, the fake version was different. The rooster used to have a weird comb or different tail feathers. Nintendo changed the "tell" for New Horizons to make it harder. They want you to actually look at the art. It’s a sneaky way to teach us art history.
Actionable Steps for Art Collectors
If you're looking to verify your art right now, follow this checklist. Don't second-guess yourself.
First, grab your NookPhone and open the camera app. Use the zoom function while standing in Redd’s Trawler. If you are on Harv's Island, you can't zoom as easily, but you can still get close.
Second, compare the color of the hydrangeas to a reference image. Don't trust your memory. The "purple" of the fake is a warm tone, while the "blue" of the real one is a cool, icy blue.
Third, if you’re still not sure, look at the rooster’s tail. On the real one, the white feathers have very fine, distinct lines. The fake often looks a bit "mushy" in the linework.
Finally, if you buy a fake by accident, don't throw it away immediately. Some players use fake art to decorate "illegal" or "black market" themed areas of their island. A fake animal crossing detailed painting still looks great in a dark library or an outdoor studio.
The most important thing is to keep your Bells ready. 4,980 isn't a lot in the late game, but early on, every Bell counts. Don't let the fox win. Verify the flowers, check the colors, and fill that museum wing so Blathers can finally stop stressing about his empty walls.