You've been there. The boat is docked at the secret beach. The lighting is dim, moody, and intentionally sketchy. Redd is grinning at you, leaning over his wares with that practiced salesman energy that screams "I definitely found this in a dumpster." You’re staring at a painting, squinting at the screen, trying to remember if a 17th-century Dutch master actually painted a dude with a hat or if that hat is a two-pixel lie. Spotting real artwork in Animal Crossing isn't just a museum-filling chore; it’s a high-stakes game of "Spot the Difference" where the penalty is several thousand Bells and a very smug fox.
The struggle is real. Honestly, Blathers is a snob, but he’s a snob with integrity. If you bring him a fake, he looks at you with that devastating mix of pity and disappointment. It hurts. New Horizons made the art game significantly harder than New Leaf by adding multiple fakes for certain pieces and making the differences incredibly subtle. We're talking about the angle of a thumb or whether a character is wearing a watch that definitely shouldn't exist in the Renaissance.
Why Real Artwork in Animal Crossing is Such a Headache
Redd is a cousin you can't trust. In New Horizons, the "Treasure Trawler" is the primary source for the museum's art wing. The problem? Redd can sell up to four items at once, and sometimes—frustratingly—all of them are fakes. Or, on a lucky day, he might have two genuine pieces. There’s no guaranteed "one real, three fake" logic anymore. It’s pure chaos.
The game uses actual masterpieces from human history. We're looking at Da Vinci, Vermeer, and Velázquez. But Nintendo’s designers are trolls. They take these iconic works and tweak one tiny detail. Sometimes the fake is obvious, like the "Scary Painting" (Otani Oniji III as Yakko Edohei) where the eyebrows are pointed down in a sad way instead of an angry way. Other times? It’s a nightmare. The "Wild Painting Right Half" fake is basically a color swap that you can barely see unless your Switch brightness is cranked to the max.
The Haunted Fakes Nobody Mentions
Did you know some of the fakes are actually haunted? This is one of those weird, "is this a creepypasta?" details that is actually 100% true. If you accidentally buy a fake "Ancient Statue" (the Dogū statue), try interacting with it. At night, the thing floats. Its eyes glow. It’s legitimately unsettling. The fake "Wistful Painting" (Girl with a Pearl Earring) also has a trick; her eyes close at night. If you bought a fake, you didn't just lose money—you bought a cursed object for your living room.
How to Actually Tell the Difference
You have to look at the eyes. Always start with the eyes. For the real artwork in Animal Crossing versions of people, the fakes almost always mess with the facial features. In the "Jolly Painting," which is based on Summer by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, the real version has a sprout coming out of the chest. The fake? It's missing. It sounds simple until you're looking at a 6-inch screen in handheld mode.
Let's talk about the "Academic Painting." This is Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. In the real version, there is a small stain in the upper right corner. In the fake, there’s a circular coffee cup stain. It’s a joke by the developers, basically mocking you for not noticing the most famous drawing in history has been used as a coaster.
The Statues are a Different Beast
Statues are often harder because they are 3D. You have to rotate the camera. Take the "Gallant Statue" (David). The fake version is holding a book under his arm. The real David? No book. Why would David be carrying a book to a giant-fight? It makes no sense, but when you're rushing to buy before a friend visits your island, you miss it.
The "Robust Statue" is another trap. The real Discobolus does not wear a watch. Yes, a wristwatch. It’s a blatant, hilarious fake, yet people buy it every single day because they're looking at the muscle definition instead of the wrist.
The Odds and the Grind
Getting a full museum is a marathon. Since Redd only appears sporadically—though the 2.0 update made it easier by letting him set up a permanent stall on Harv's Island—you're looking at months, if not years, of checking stock. If you're playing the "Stall" version on Harv's Island, remember that his inventory only refreshes every Monday unless you buy something.
Expert tip: If both items at the stall are fakes, buy one anyway. This forces a refresh the next day. Think of it as a "trash tax" you pay to get closer to a real "Valiant Statue."
The Rarity Tier List
Not all art is created equal. Some pieces are "always real." These are the holy grails because you can buy them without even looking.
- The "Calm Painting" (A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte) is always genuine.
- The "Flowery Painting" (Sunflowers by Van Gogh) has no fake version.
- The "Great Statue" (Kamehameha I) is always the real deal.
On the flip side, the "Wild Painting" halves are the absolute worst. They are rare, they are expensive, and the fakes are incredibly convincing. You'll see the "Wild Painting Left Half" (Raijin) and think you've won the game, only to realize the god's skin is the wrong shade of green. It's brutal.
📖 Related: Just Dance 2026 song list: What most people get wrong about this year's tracks
Practical Steps for Your Next Trawler Visit
Don't go in blind. The lighting in Redd's boat is designed to obscure colors. Here is exactly what you should do:
- Use the Zoom Tool: Use the in-game camera or the Switch’s built-in zoom feature (double-tap the Home button if you have it enabled in settings).
- Check the "Always Real" List: Memorize the few pieces that never have fakes. If you see a "Sinking Painting," buy it. No questions asked.
- Look for Movement: If you're buying a fake for decoration, check if it's one of the "haunted" ones. Sometimes a fake is actually cooler than the original if you're going for a spooky island vibe.
- Verify the Name: The game uses "in-universe" names. You aren't looking for The Night Watch; you're looking for the "Amazing Painting." If you know the real-world title, you can look up the specific historical discrepancies.
- Harv’s Island Strategy: Visit Harv's Island every single day. Even if you don't need art, buying a fake and gifting it to a villager you don't like is a valid strategy. Or just trash it. But clearing the slot is the only way to cycle through the RNG (Random Number Generation) faster.
Getting real artwork in Animal Crossing requires a mix of art history knowledge and a healthy dose of cynicism. Don't trust the fox. Don't trust your first glance. If you're unsure, look at the hands, the eyes, and for heaven's sake, check for wristwatches on Greco-Roman sculptures. Once you hand that genuine "Great Wave off Kanagawa" to Blathers and see him do his little hooting dance, the headache of the hunt finally feels worth it.
Check your storage for any "informative statues" you might have stashed away. If the stone is blue, it's a fake; the real one is gray basalt. If it's blue and it glows? You've got a haunted centerpiece for your graveyard.
Next Steps for Players:
Start by unlocking Redd's permanent shop on Harv's Island by donating 100,000 Bells to the Lloid located at the back-right of the plaza. This significantly increases your chances of finding genuine pieces compared to waiting for the boat to randomly dock. Once unlocked, make it a habit to check his stock every Monday morning. If you see the "Twinkling Painting" (The Starry Night), grab it immediately—it's one of the pieces that is never fake and serves as a perfect cornerstone for any museum collection.