Blathers is picky. We all know it. You walk into that grand museum, the echo of your footsteps hitting the marble, and you realize your art gallery looks a little... empty. If you've been hunting for the wild painting right half in Animal Crossing, you've probably felt that specific sting of betrayal when Redd pulls up his shady boat, promises you the "cousin discount," and hands over a piece of canvas that turns out to be a total dud. It’s annoying.
This isn’t just any painting. It’s half of a masterpiece.
Based on the real-world Wind and Thunder Gods (Fūjin-raijin-zu) by Tawaraya Sōtatsu, this screen is an iconic piece of Japanese history. In the world of New Horizons, it’s split into two distinct items: the Left Half and the Right Half. While the Left Half features the green Wind God, Fujin, the wild painting right half in Animal Crossing showcases the white Thunder God, Raijin. Finding it is one thing. Determining if it's real? That's where things get messy for most players.
Spotting the Fake Wild Painting Right Half
Redd is a scam artist. Let’s just call it what it is. When he shows up at your secret beach, he’s usually carrying at least one or two "forgeries" designed to drain your Bells and leave you with a decorative paperweight that Blathers won't even touch.
To tell the difference, you have to look at the color of the god himself. On the genuine wild painting right half, Raijin is white. Pure, snowy white. If you look at the screen and the figure has a green tint—sorta like he’s feeling airsick or just spent too much time in a swamp—it’s a fake. The forgery is a direct color swap of the two halves. In the real world, Raijin is white and Fujin is green. Redd tries to trick you by flipping those colors.
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It’s a subtle detail. When you're standing in that dimly lit boat, squinting at your Switch screen or a TV across the room, it’s easy to misjudge a shade of ivory versus a pale mint. Honestly, I’ve seen people lose thousands of Bells because they were playing in handheld mode with the brightness turned down. Don't do that. Crank the brightness.
Why This Painting Matters for Your Museum
Completing the art wing is arguably the hardest task in the game. Unlike bugs or fish, which are tied to seasons and times, Redd’s inventory is a chaotic roll of the dice. You might go three months without seeing the wild painting right half in Animal Crossing, and when it finally appears, there’s a 50% chance it’s the forgery.
Because art pieces are unique, you can't just "grind" for them the way you would for Nook Miles. You're at the mercy of the RNG (Random Number Generation). This specific piece is a "Large" item. It takes up a significant amount of wall space in the museum, and seeing both halves united is one of the most satisfying visual payoffs in the game. It bridges that gap between the classical European statues and the traditional Eastern influence that Nintendo loves to weave into the series.
The Real-World Connection
The original work is a national treasure in Japan. Created in the 17th century, the Wind and Thunder Gods screens are the definitive examples of the Rinpa school of art. When you look at the wild painting right half in Animal Crossing, you’re looking at Raijin, the god of lightning, thunder, and storms. He’s usually depicted beating his drums to create the rumble of the skies.
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Nintendo didn’t just pick this because it looks cool. They picked it because it’s a cultural cornerstone. The gold leaf background in the game actually reflects light differently than other paintings, mimicking the way the original screens would have shimmered in a candlelit room or a temple. It’s these tiny touches that make the art hunt worth the headache.
Strategies for Finding the Genuine Article
If you’re tired of waiting for Redd to show up once every two weeks, you’ve got to be proactive. Waiting is for losers.
First, use the Harvey’s Island plaza. If you haven't unlocked the shops there yet, do it. By funding Redd’s trailer, you get a rotating inventory that refreshes much more frequently than his boat visits. If he has two fakes on display, buy one anyway. Why? Because it forces the game to cycle in a new item the next day. It’s a small investment of 4,980 Bells to clear the "trash" and make room for the wild painting right half in Animal Crossing to potentially spawn.
Trading is your second best bet. The Animal Crossing community on platforms like Nookazon or various Discord servers is still incredibly active. However, be careful. Because the Wild Painting halves are so rare, they often command a high price. People will ask for 40 to 100 Nook Miles Tickets (NMT) for a genuine Right Half. Always verify the item before the trade is finalized. If you’re visiting someone’s island and Redd is there, use the "Look Closer" feature. If the god is green, walk away.
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Common Misconceptions About the Right Half
One thing that trips people up is the "haunted" art myth. Some paintings in New Horizons are haunted—they change at night, or they have shadows that move. The wild painting right half is not one of them. If it looks weird, it's just a fake. There's no secret ghost attached to this one, unlike the Ancient Statue or the Wistful Painting.
Another mistake? Thinking the Left and Right halves are interchangeable. They aren't. You need both distinct items to finish the set. If you accidentally buy two Left halves, you're just stuck with a very asymmetrical living room.
How to Handle a Fake
So you bought the green one. Oops. Blathers has rejected you, and now you’re standing outside the museum with a fake wild painting right half in Animal Crossing. You can’t sell it to Tommy and Timmy; they have standards, apparently.
You have three choices:
- Trash it: Use a wastebasket furniture item to delete it from existence.
- Decorate: The fakes still look cool. Use them to create an "illegal art market" aesthetic behind your Resident Services or near your secret beach.
- Gift it: Villagers will sometimes take art, but they might send you a letter later complaining about it being a knock-off. It’s a great way to lower your friendship level if you're trying to get someone to move out, though that's a bit mean.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Session
Don't let Redd get the best of you. The hunt for the wild painting right half in Animal Crossing is a marathon, not a sprint. To wrap this up and get your museum finished, follow this checklist the next time you boot up the game:
- Check Harvey's Island daily: Buy any art piece—even a fake—to force the inventory to refresh. This is the fastest way to see new stock.
- Inspect the skin tone: Look at Raijin’s body. If it’s white, it’s the real deal. If it’s green, it’s a forgery. No exceptions.
- Save your Bells: Genuine large-scale art is expensive when trading with other players. Keep a stack of gold nuggets or NMTs ready for when a trade opportunity pops up on social media.
- Verify before you fly: If trading online, ask the seller for a screenshot of the painting in their inventory or placed on the ground so you can check the color yourself.
The museum won't finish itself, and that empty spot on the wall is going to keep mocking you until Raijin is finally in his rightful place. Go find that white thunder god.