You're standing on the beach. It’s dark. Redd’s boat is creaking, that weird green glow is everywhere, and you've got a pocket full of Bells you’d rather not throw away on a piece of trash. We’ve all been there. You see the wistful painting animal crossing fans have obsessed over since the New Leaf days, and you wonder: is she supposed to be wearing a star-shaped earring, or am I being hustled?
Redd is a crook. Let's just start there. He’s a kitsune with a silver tongue and a collection of "high-end" art that’s mostly canvas and lies. The wistful painting is one of his favorite items to pedal because the fake is actually quite subtle if you’re rushing or playing on a small handheld screen. This piece is based on Johannes Vermeer’s legendary Girl with a Pearl Earring, painted around 1665. In the world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the stakes are high because Blathers won't take fakes, and your home decor reputation is on the line.
What Actually Changes in the Fake Wistful Painting?
The trick is the earring. That’s it. In the real world, Vermeer’s masterpiece features a large, teardrop-shaped pearl. It’s iconic. It catches the light in a very specific way. In the game, the genuine version mirrors this. If you look at the painting and see a round or teardrop-shaped pearl, you’re looking at a masterpiece. Buy it. Don't think twice.
The fake? It swaps the pearl for a star. It’s a literal five-pointed star.
Sometimes, players get confused because there’s a "haunted" version of this painting too. In New Horizons, certain forged artworks are possessed. If you have the fake wistful painting hanging in your house, watch it at night. Around 6:00 PM, the girl in the painting will close her eyes. If you interact with it, she might even open them again or change her expression slightly. It’s creepy. It’s cool. Honestly, some people buy the fake on purpose just for the spooky vibes, but if you’re trying to fill that museum wing, the star earring is your red flag.
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Why Vermeer Matters to Blathers
Blathers isn't just a nervous owl who hates bugs; he’s a surprisingly deep art historian. When you donate the real wistful painting, he’ll give you a bit of flavor text about the "Tronie." For those not caught up on 17th-century Dutch art terminology, a tronie isn't a traditional portrait. It wasn't meant to be a specific person. It was a study of a character, a costume, or an emotion.
Vermeer was a master of light. You see it in the way the girl’s lips are slightly parted and how the light hits the blue headscarf. In Animal Crossing, the developers did a decent job of preserving that soft, diffused glow, even on a digital canvas. It’s one of the most recognizable pieces in the game, alongside the Starry Night and the Mona Lisa.
If you're playing New Leaf, the fake is even more obvious. In that game, she’s wearing an orange headscarf instead of the classic blue one. Nintendo made the "forgery game" a bit harder in New Horizons by keeping the colors the same and only changing the shape of the jewelry. It requires you to actually zoom in.
The Haunting of the Forgery
Let's talk about the haunting because it's the weirdest part of the wistful painting animal crossing experience. Nintendo added these hidden details to make fakes more than just "trash."
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If you display a fake wistful painting in your home, it behaves normally during the day. But as the sun goes down, the girl’s eyes close. It’s a slow animation. If you aren't looking for it, you’ll miss it. Then, you’ll turn around and realize she looks like she’s sleeping. There’s something deeply unsettling about a "fake" masterpiece that has a life of its own.
This isn't the only haunted piece, of course. The Ancient Statue floats, and the Graceful Painting turns its head. But the wistful painting is special because it feels more intimate. She’s looking right at you—until she isn't.
How to Get the Real Deal Every Time
Don’t trust Redd’s lighting. It’s intentionally dim to hide the flaws in his inventory. Here is the process you should follow every single time he docks at your secret beach:
- Zoom in. Use the X button to get a close-up view of the painting.
- Check the ear. Look specifically at the earring.
- Identify the shape. Is it a pearl? Good. Is it a star? Bad (unless you want the ghost).
- Check the headscarf color. If you're playing an older version of the game, blue is true, orange is a lie.
If you’re still unsure, you can use the Nintendo Switch's internal zoom feature (found in the system settings) to get an even tighter look at those pixels. Redd isn't going to give you a refund, and Timmy and Tommy won't buy fakes from you. If you mess up, you’re stuck with a "trash" item that costs Bells to dispose of—unless you put it in a trash can furniture item or drop it on a mystery island.
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The Value of the Wistful Painting
In the Nookazon market or trading communities, the real wistful painting usually goes for a fair amount of Nook Miles Tickets (NMTs) or a few hundred thousand Bells. It’s not as rare as the Wild Painting (Left or Right Half), but it’s a staple for any serious gallery.
The fake version actually has its own niche market. Because of the "closed eyes" haunting effect, players who design horror-themed islands or gothic mansions specifically seek out the forged version. It’s a rare case where the "wrong" item actually has more personality than the "right" one.
Spotting Other Vermeer Works
Vermeer only has a few pieces in the game, but they are all heavy hitters. The other big one is the Quaint Painting, which is The Milkmaid. Similar to the wistful painting, the fake for the Quaint Painting involves a liquid change—in the fake, there’s a massive amount of milk pouring out of the jug, whereas the real one has a thin, delicate stream.
Vermeer's work is all about the "smallness" of the moment. The wistful painting captures a glance. The quaint painting captures a chore. Redd tries to ruin these moments by making everything "extra"—extra milk, extra star-shaped jewelry. He doesn't understand the subtlety of the Dutch Golden Age.
Actionable Steps for Your Art Gallery
Don't let the fox win. If you're serious about finishing your museum in 2026, you need a strategy. Redd doesn't show up often enough for you to be guessing.
- Open your camera app. Use the in-game camera to look at the painting from different angles before you commit to the purchase.
- Check the earring shape. If it's a star, it's a forgery. If it's a pearl, it's the real deal.
- Wait until 6:00 PM. If you already bought a fake and want to see the "haunting," hang it on your wall and wait for the sun to set.
- Visit Harv's Island. In the New Horizons 2.0 update, you can pay to have Redd set up a permanent stall at Harv’s. This is the fastest way to cycle through his inventory. If he has two fakes, buy one just to get it out of the way so he refreshes his stock the next day.
Getting the real wistful painting is a rite of passage for many players. It's the moment you stop just clicking buttons and start actually looking at the art. Whether you want the historical accuracy of a Vermeer or a haunted girl with star earrings to scare your villagers, now you know exactly what you’re looking at.