By
Abby Lee Hood,Angie Harvey,Janet Garcia,+154 more
updated
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a merchant named Cousin Redd sells various works of art - comprised of paintings and sculptures, but beware because his inventory isn't always the real deal! This guide details exactly what you need to know about how Redd works in ACNH, and how to spot the difference between genuine art and fakes.
Looking for something in particular? Click the links below to jump to...
- How to Buy Works of Art
- How to Unlock Redd
- Redd's Treasure Trawler Shop - Art, Furniture, and Forgeries
- Buying Art from Redd at Harv's Island
- Art Museum Time Travel Cheat
- How to Get Rid of Fake Art
- Haunted Paintings and Creepy Fake Art
- List of Real Art vs. Fake Art - How to Tell the Difference
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How to Buy Works of Art
Redd sells famous works of art from all over the world, but he has a tendency to sell forgeries that only a keen eye can spot. Though you can purchase and display forgeries, Blathers will not take forged artwork to display at the museum, so deducing which are genuine items that Redd sells is important to expanding your museum.
As of the ACNH 2.0 update, there are two locations you can buy art from Redd, but first you need to get Redd to your island!
How to Unlock Redd
In order for Redd to appear on your island, you must first make some headway into building up your town's museum. To do this, you will need to donate a total of 60 bugs, fish, and fossils to the museum (these include the donations made to Tom Nook at the start of your deserted island adventure, and the 15 donations Blathers requires to build a proper museum. This means once the Museum is initially built, you will need 40 more donations!
Once you've hit this milestone, Blathers will tell you on the next day that he has begun taking donations for works of art - although he has no place to display them just yet. Luckily, you're likely to hear an announcement from Isabelle the very next day that, “a suspicious individual has been seen sailing around the nearby islands.” You'll then find Redd walking around your island.
- For an even more detailed guide on how to get Redd to your island, click here!
Redd's Treasure Trawler Shop - Art, Furniture, and Forgeries
Much like previous Animal Crossing games, Redd deals in rare and valuable artworks that he will sell to you each time he visits along with a selection of other furniture items. The furniture items he has available are often color variations that are not commonly found at Nooks Cranny. He’ll also sell four pieces of art — chances are that at least one of those is fake!
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Once you've chosen the work of art you want to buy, Redd will lock in your purchase, and refuse to sell the other three artworks (though you are able to buy as much furniture as you want). You won't get the artwork immediately - instead you'll have to wait until he mails it to you the next day (along with a prominent reminder of his no-refunds policy).
Redd can sell multiple real works of art, and all four can also be forgeries, so be wary when making your pick! Once you've chosen a work of art, you cannot purchase another, even on a friends island, for the rest of the day..
Buying Art from Redd at Harv's Island
The 2.0 Update introduced the shops at Harv’s Island. This allows Redd to establish a permanent shop! To learn more about Harv’s Island Shops check out our guide or click here.
To unlock Redd’s shop, speak to the second Lloid on the right who will tell you that you can invite a legitimate art dealer.” When he visits your town, he’ll offer four art pieces (of questionable authenticity) and two items in special color variants. However, on Harv’s Island, Redd’s shop works a little differently.
At Harv’s Island, Redd only offers two pieces of art at a time. You can only buy one per day. As usual, you’ll need to wait until the next day to receive the item in the mail. If you visit him at the Plaza the next day, a new piece will have replaced the one you bought. If you don’t buy anything, you’ll need to wait until the next Monday for him to refresh his stock.
- Check out all the other things Redd can do at Harv's Island by clicking here to view our guide.
Art Museum Time Travel Cheat
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If you have no interest in waiting for Redd to reappear and rolling the dice every time he updates his inventory, you can finish your collection quickly with this time travel cheat. Cheat credit toDoug Chinfor contacting us about this exploit.
- First, you'll need Redd on your island. If Redd is nowhere to be found, Time Travel (change your system clock) one day at a time until you see him.
- Shop at Redd's once he appears. Don't worry if Redd is selling nothing but fakes; you don't need to buy anything for this cheat to work. Save, exit your game, then close the software completely.
- Head to System settings on your Switch. Select system, then select Date and Time. Make sure Synchronize Clock via Internet is turned Off. Change the Date and Time to go only one day ahead.
- Start up Animal Crossing. It’s a new day and Redd is gone. Feel free to use this time to get your art from the mail and even donate it to the museum if you'd like.
- When you're ready, save, exit, and close the software. Return to the system settings and change your clock back to the previous day to resummon Redd. He'll have new inventory in his shop!
- Rinse and repeat until your museum collecting is complete.
Warning: Don't Time Travel Too Far
Keep in mind that if you go forward or back more than one day Redd will no longer appear. If you see Redd on May 13th you can’t just consistently return to May 13th weeks later. We’ve found it can take up to 2 weeks for him to appear again so be careful when using this cheat or you’ll have a lot of time travel work ahead of you.
How to Get Rid of Fake Art
If Redd has managed to trick you, and Blathers informs you that your fake art or fake paintings cannot be submitted to the museum, you'll be stuck with your forgeries - as Redd will have a strict "no refunds policy." Similarly, word apparently gets passed around the island, as Timmy and Tommy will also refuse deal in forgeries, and you'll be unable to sell fake art at Nook's Cranny.
This doesn't mean you still can't display your fake art on your island though - just like any other item, you can display painting and sculptures all over your island or in your own home if you want. If not, you can always use a trash can item to literally throw it away if the memory of getting duped still haunts you!
Haunted Paintings and Creepy Fake Art
On the other hand, if you're interested in some haunting consider keeping the fake art you buy. Players have reported portraits opening their eyes and statues floating once they're interacted with.
(photo above from @Trogdorbad)
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List of Real Art vs. Fake Art - How to Tell the Difference
Below is a list of all know Works of Art that Redd sells. Click on the artwork's name to automatically scroll to it on this page. Included is the name of the item in Animal Crossing, the name of the actual artwork it is based on, and any discrepancies you can look for when trying to discern if the item is a forgery. You can also view the slideshow below for fake and real comparisons:
Animal Crossing: New Horizons - All Real vs. Fake Works of Art
Paintings | Statues and Sculptures |
---|---|
Academic Painting | Ancient Statue |
Amazing Painting | Beautiful Statue |
Basic Painting | Familiar Statue |
Calm Painting | Gallant Statue |
Common Painting | Great Statue |
Detailed Painting | Informative Statue |
Dynamic Painting | Motherly Statue |
Famous Painting | Mystic Statue |
Flowery Painting | Robust Statue |
Glowing Painting | Rock-Head Statue |
Graceful Painting | Tremendous Statue |
Jolly Painting | Valiant Statue |
Moody Painting | Warrior Statue |
Moving Painting | |
Mysterious Painting | |
Nice Painting | |
Perfect Painting | |
Proper Painting | |
Quaint Painting | |
Scary Painting | |
Scenic Painting | |
Serene Painting | |
Sinking Painting | |
Solemn Painting | |
Twinkling Painting | |
Warm Painting | |
Wild Painting - Left Half | |
Wild Painting - Right Half | |
Wistful Painting | |
Worthy Painting |
Academic Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Vitruvian Man" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
There's a circular stain from a mug in the top corner. |
Amazing Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "The Night Watch" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The character in black is missing his hat. |
Basic Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "The Blue Boy" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The boy will have longer hair in the back and over his forehead, instead of a more visible forehead. |
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Calm Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Common Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "The Gleaners" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Detailed Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Rooster and Hen with Hydrangeas" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The hydrangeas displayed are purple in color, not blue. |
Dynamic Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Famous Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Mona Lisa" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The character has very pronounced eyebrows. |
Flowery Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "Sunflowers" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
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Glowing Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "The Fighting Temeraire" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Graceful Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Beauty Looking Back" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The woman's size is almost the entire height of the portrait, instead of around half the size. |
Jolly Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Summer" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
There is no artichoke pinned on the shirt. |
Moody Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "The Sower" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Moving Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "The Birth of Venus" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
There are no trees on the right side of the painting. |
Mysterious Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "Isle of the Dead" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
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Nice Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "The Fifer" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Perfect Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "Apples and Oranges" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Proper Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "A Bar at the Folies-Bergere" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Quaint Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "The Milkmaid" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
There will be a lot of milk pouring from the jug instead of just a trickle. |
Scary Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Portrait of Ōtani Oniji III as Yakko Edobei" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The eyebrows will be arched up, making Otani look scared rather than arching down to make him look scary. |
Scenic Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Hunters in the Snow" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
There is only one hunter instead of three, and only 12 dogs instead of 14 (2 are missing at the top of the group). |
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Serene Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Lady with an Ermine" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The ermine has dark grey fur patches. |
Sinking Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "Ophelia" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Solemn Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Las Meninas" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The character in the far doorway is raising his hand up instead of holding it to the left. |
Twinkling Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "Starry Night" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Warm Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "The Clothed Maja" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Wild Painting - Left Half | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Wind and Thunder God" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The god on the left side is green, not white. |
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Wild Painting - Right Half | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Wind and Thunder God" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The god on the right side is white, not green. |
Wistful Painting | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Girl with a Pearl Earring" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The pearl earring is star-shaped, not round. |
Worthy Painting | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "Liberty Leading the People" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This painting is reported to always be genuine. |
Ancient Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Dogu Clay Figurine" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The figure has antenna on its ears. |
Beautiful Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Venus de Milo" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The statue is wearing a necklace. |
Familiar Statue | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "The Thinker" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This statue is reported to always be genuine. |
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Gallant Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Statue of David" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The statue is holding a book under its arm. |
Great Statue | |
---|---|
Actual Name: "King Kamehameha I" | |
Real Version | It's Fake if... |
This statue is reported to always be genuine. |
Informative Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "The Rosetta Stone" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The stone is blue when it should be black. |
Motherly Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Capitoline Wolf" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The wolf has its tongue out. |
Mystic Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Nefertiti Bust" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The bust is wearing an earring on the right side. |
Robust Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Discobolus" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The statue is wearing a wristwatch on its disc-throwing arm. |
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Rock-Head Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Olmec Colossal Head" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The statue head is smiling. |
Tremendous Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Houmuwu Ding" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The bronze box has a lid with handles in them middle, instead of handles only on the sides. |
Valiant Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Nike of Samothrace" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The statue is inverted, and its clothes drape over its right shoulder, not its left. |
Warrior Statue | ||
---|---|---|
Actual Name: "Terracotta Soldier" | ||
Real Version | It's Fake if... | Fake Version |
The statue's hands are resting on a spade-like object. |
Looking for even more? Why not check out some of our other handy Animal Crossing: New Horizons guides.
- Complete List of All ACNH Events
- Money Making Guide - How to Get Bells Fast
- Complete Happy Home Paradise Guide
Up Next: Dream Island Visiting Guide
Top Guide Sections
- Beginner's Guide and Tips
- Bug Guide: Bugs List, Sell Price, and Bug Catching Tips
- Fish Guide: Fish List, Sell Price, and Fishing Tips
- Sea Creatures Guide: Sea Creature List, Sell Price
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons
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