Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to charm players well into 2026, and one of the most beloved (yet frustrating) parts of the game remains the art collection system. If you've been trying to complete your museum's art gallery but keep getting tricked by a certain shady fox, this guide is for you. Below, we've put together a complete rundown of every real and fake artwork in the game, along with tips on how to spot the forgeries and finally finish your exhibit.
ACNH Art Guide 2026
Before we dive into the checklists themselves, let's take a look at how the art system actually functions in the game.
How Do the Real & Fake Arts Work in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Once you unlock Jolly Redd (sometimes just called Redd), he'll start docking his suspicious-looking treasure trawler at your island's secret beach. Inside, he sells four pieces of art per visit, along with a couple of rare furniture items. The catch? He's shady, and most of what he sells is fake.
Here's the breakdown of what you can expect from his boat inventory each visit:
10% chance: 1 fake and 3 real pieces
30% chance: 2 fake and 2 real pieces
50% chance: 3 fake and 1 real piece
10% chance: All 4 pieces are fake
Each time a real piece appears, there's a 20% chance it'll be something you haven't donated yet, which gives you a better shot at completing your collection. You can also find Redd on Harv's Island, where he sets up shop on the days he isn't docked at your beach. On Harv's Island, he'll have 2 pieces of art rotating each day, so you no longer have to wait forever for him to appear on your own island.
One important thing to note: on Sundays, Redd might only stock fake paintings, meaning there's a chance he won't even have a real piece for sale. Rough, right?
Now that you know how his sales work, let's look at exactly how many pieces of art exist in the game.
How Many Real & Fake Arts in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
There are a total of 43 pieces of art in New Horizons, split into two categories:
30 Paintings
13 Statues
Not every piece has a fake variant, which is actually great news for players. Some artworks are "genuine only," meaning whenever Redd sells them, you can safely buy without worrying about getting scammed. Some paintings, however, have multiple fake variants (like the Wistful Painting), so always double-check before buying.
With that context in mind, here are the full checklists you can use to identify each piece.
ACNH Real vs Fake Painting Checklist
Below is the complete list of all 30 paintings and how to identify the genuine versions.
1. Academic Painting Real vs Fake
The fake has coffee stains in the top right corner. The real one is clean.
2. Amazing Painting Real vs Fake
The man in the foreground wears a black hat in the real version. No hat = fake.
3. Basic Painting Real vs Fake
The fake has full bangs covering the entire forehead. The real version has a natural side part.
4. Calm Painting Real vs Fake
Genuine only. Always safe to buy.
5. Common Painting Real vs Fake
Genuine only. Always real.
6. Detailed Painting Real vs Fake
The fake has purple flowers. The real one has blue flowers.
7. Dynamic Painting Real vs Fake
Genuine only. No fake exists.
8. Famous Painting Real vs Fake
The fake's eyebrows are raised, giving her a surprised look. The real Mona Lisa's eyebrows are more natural.
9. Flowery Painting Real vs Fake
Genuine only. Always safe.
10. Glowing Painting Real vs Fake
Genuine only. Always real.
11. Graceful Painting Real vs Fake
The fake is crowded, with the figure filling most of the canvas. The real version has more empty space and a small mark beside the figure.
12. Jolly Painting Real vs Fake
The fake is missing a sprouting flower/vegetable in the bottom right. The real version includes it.
13. Moody Painting Real vs Fake
Genuine only. Always real.
14. Moving Painting Real vs Fake
The fake is missing trees in the top right corner and shows more open sky. The real one has overhanging trees.
15. Mysterious Painting
Genuine only. Always safe.
16. Nice Painting
Genuine only. Always real.
17. Perfect Painting
Genuine only. Always safe.
18. Proper Painting
Genuine only. Always real.
19. Quaint Painting
The fake has a much wider stream of water pouring from the jug (2–3 times as much). The real one has only a trickle.
20. Scary Painting
The fake's eyebrows point up, making the face look terrified. The real version has eyebrows pointing down toward the nose.
21. Scenic Painting
The fake is missing a hunter and dogs just left of center. The real one has two hunters.
22. Serene Painting
The fake shows a dark grey ermine. The real version shows a white one.
23. Sinking Painting
Genuine only. Always safe.
24. Solemn Painting
The fake's background figure has an arm raised as if waving. The real one shows the figure holding the curtain.
25. Twinkling Painting
Genuine only. Always real.
26. Warm Painting
Genuine only. Always safe.
27. Wild Painting (Left Half)
The fake shows the green figure (Fujin). The real version shows the white/pale figure (Raijin).
28. Wild Painting (Right Half)
The fake shows the white figure. The real one shows the green figure.
29. Wistful Painting
The fake has a star-shaped earring (and other variants exist). The real one has a pearl earring.
30. Worthy Painting
Genuine only. Always real.
Now that we've covered every painting, let's take a look at the statues, which are just as tricky.
ACNH Real vs Fake Statue Checklist
Here's the full checklist for all 13 statues:
1. Ancient Statue
The fake has two antennas attached to the ears. The real one has nothing.
2. Beautiful Statue
The fake has three necklaces around the neck. The real one has none.
3. Familiar Statue
Genuine only. Always safe.
4. Gallant Statue
The fake is holding a book under its arm. The real one has nothing.
5. Great Statue
Genuine only. Always real.
6. Informative Statue
The fake is neon blue. The real one is made of actual stone.
7. Motherly Statue
The fake has its tongue sticking out. The real one has its mouth closed.
8. Mystic Statue
The fake has an earring on the right ear. The real one has no earrings.
9. Robust Statue
The fake has a watch/band around the wrist. The real one has nothing.
10. Rock-Head Statue
The fake is slightly smiling. The real one is frowning.
11. Tremendous Statue
The fake has a lid on top of the vessel. The real one has no lid.
12. Valiant Statue
The fake has the left leg forward. The real one has the right leg forward.
13. Warrior Statue
The fake is holding a shovel/sword. The real one holds nothing.
With the checklists out of the way, let's move on to how you actually get your hands on real artwork.
How To Get Real Arts in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Getting real art requires a bit of preparation. Here are the steps you'll need to follow:
Step 1: Update Your Game
Make sure your game is updated to at least version 1.2.0. Press the home button, hit the plus button on Animal Crossing, and select "Software Update via the Internet."
Step 2: Meet the Museum Requirements
You'll need to have donated a certain number of items (roughly 60 combined fish, bugs, and fossils) to Blathers before he'll start talking about wanting to add art to the museum.
Step 3: Trigger the Art Gallery Quest
Talk to Blathers, and he'll express interest in expanding the museum to include artwork. The next day, Isabelle will announce that a suspicious visitor has been spotted on the island.
Step 4: Find Redd On Foot
The first time Redd appears, you can't enter his boat. You need to find him wandering around your island. Talk to him, and he'll offer to sell you a painting at a discounted price. This first painting is guaranteed to be genuine.
Step 5: Donate the Painting to Blathers
Take the genuine painting to Blathers, donate it, and the museum will close for a day of construction. The following day, the art gallery officially opens, and Redd becomes a regular visitor.
Bonus Strategy: The Fake Art Trick
According to datamines, there's a clever strategy for improving your odds of getting real art:
If a real piece you don't own appears, buy it immediately.
If both pieces on Harv's Island are fake, buy one anyway. Each fake purchase gives a 20% chance (increasing by 5% each additional purchase) that the slot will be replaced with real art the next day.
Avoid buying fakes on Sundays, as the inventory refreshes on Monday and you might lose guaranteed real art.
Once you've got your real art in hand, the next question is what to do with it.
What To Do With Real Arts
Real artwork has a few uses in the game:
Donate to the Museum - This is the main goal for most players. Blathers will happily accept every genuine painting and statue and display them in the newly expanded art gallery. Completing the art exhibit adds a beautiful new section to your museum.
Display in Your Home or on Your Island - If you've already donated a piece, you can use duplicates as decoration. Real paintings and statues look great in home layouts, especially for themed rooms.
Trade with Friends - Since art can't be reordered from the Nook Shopping catalog once purchased, real pieces are quite valuable in the trading community. Many players trade real art for Nook Miles Tickets or other rare items.
But what about the pieces that aren't real? Let's look at how fake art fits into the picture.
How To Get Fake Arts in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
Getting fake art is unfortunately the easy part. Since Redd sells more fakes than real pieces, you'll accumulate them quickly just by trying to collect real ones. Here's how you'll encounter them:
Redd's Treasure Trawler - The four-piece inventory on his boat will often contain multiple fakes.
Harv's Island - The two-piece rotation here can also feature fakes.
From Other Players - Some players trade or gift fake art if they accidentally purchase them.
Now, before you toss them into the trash, let's look at what fake art is actually good for.
What To Do With Fake Arts?
Even though Blathers will reject any fake artwork you try to donate, fake pieces still have some uses:
Complete Your Nook Shopping Catalog - Fake art counts toward your in-game catalog, which is helpful if you're a completionist trying to track everything you've owned.
Decoration - Fake paintings and statues look identical (or nearly identical) to the real versions at first glance. If you don't care about donating them, they still work great as home or island decor.
The Fake Art Refresh Trick - As mentioned earlier, purchasing fake art from Harv's Island can boost your chances of real art appearing in that slot the next day. So buying fakes strategically is actually part of the meta.
Sell for Bells - If all else fails, you can sell fake art at Nook's Cranny for a small amount of Bells. It's not much, but every Bell counts.
And there you have it, the complete 2026 guide to Animal Crossing: New Horizons art collecting. With this checklist and strategy in hand, you'll finally be able to outsmart Redd, complete your museum's art gallery, and finish one of the most stubbornly incomplete exhibits in the game. Good luck, and happy hunting!
