Elena Rossi
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players can purchase art from a fox named Jolly Redd, who arrives on a boat at the player's island. Redd is known to sell forgeries of real-world paintings and sculptures, so players must be vigilant when purchasing art from him. The Serene Painting is one of 40 paintings in the game that has a forgery. The painting is based on Leonardo da Vinci's Lady with an Ermine, and players can distinguish a real Serene Painting by looking at the animal in the woman's arms: in the forgery, the ermine is grey, while in the real painting, it is white.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Real-world counterpart | Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine" |
| Animal in the woman's arms | White ermine (real); grey ermine (fake) |
| Animal's features | All white (real); dark markings around eyes and a yellowish snout (fake) |
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What You'll Learn
The real painting is based on Leonardo da Vinci's 'Lady with an Ermine'
Lady with an Ermine is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is painted in oils on a thin panel of walnut wood, which Leonardo favoured but was not commonly used by other artists in Lombardy. The painting is dated to c. 1489–1491, or more specifically to Leonardo's first Milanese period (c. 1482–1499). It is one of only four surviving portraits of women painted by Leonardo, the others being Ginevra de' Benci, La Belle Ferronnière, and the Mona Lisa. The subject of the painting is Cecilia Gallerani, the sixteen-year-old mistress of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, and Leonardo was probably in the service of the Duke when this was painted. Gallerani was renowned for her beauty, scholarship, and poetry, and the ermine she holds is thought to symbolise her purity.
The painting has had a tumultuous history. It was acquired in Italy in 1798 by Prince Adam George Czartoryski and incorporated into the Czartoryski family collections in 1800. It was exhibited extensively throughout the mid-to-late 20th century, travelling to Warsaw, Moscow, Washington, D.C., Malmö, Rome, Milan, and Florence. During World War II, it was stolen by Cracow's wartime Nazi governor and an SS soldier's footprint was found on the portrait when it was retrieved. It was returned to Poland in 1946 and placed on exhibit at the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków, where it remains today.
When determining the authenticity of a painting, it is important to consider factors such as the placement and positioning of the signature, the layers visible to the naked eye, and the type of paint used during the era of the piece. A Certificate of Authenticity can also provide proof of a work's authenticity, but even these can be reproduced, so it is always best to contact an expert appraiser to evaluate the piece. In the case of Lady with an Ermine, its authenticity has been supported by the discovery of Leonardo's fingerprints on the surface of the paint, as well as through X-ray and microscopic analysis.
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The stoat in the painting is a ferret
When purchasing the Serene Painting from Jolly Redd, players should be cautious as there is a chance the artwork is a fake forgery. The fake version of the Serene Painting can be identified by looking at the animal in the woman's arms. If the animal has dark markings around its eyes and a yellowish snout, resembling a duck, it is a forgery. In the real painting, the animal is all white. Additionally, the woman in the fake painting may appear larger, and there might be variations in the shades of grey in the animal's fur.
It is important to note that the differences between the real and fake versions of the Serene Painting can be subtle and challenging to spot, especially in the darkness of Redd's Trawler. Players are advised to zoom in on the painting as much as possible to inspect the details. By paying close attention to the colours and markings of the animal, players can increase their chances of acquiring a genuine Serene Painting.
While the stoat in the painting is indeed a ferret, this discrepancy does not necessarily indicate a forgery. The identification of the animal as a ferret is based on its winter coat, which differs from the typical stoat fur colour. Players should focus on the overall accuracy of the painting, ensuring that the woman's features, clothing, and the animal's colouring match the characteristics of the genuine Serene Painting.
To summarise, when examining the Serene Painting, it is crucial to verify the accuracy of the woman's features and the colouring of the animal she is holding. By comparing these details to the characteristics of the genuine painting, players can determine whether the stoat depicted is a ferret, indicating a potential forgery, or if the painting accurately represents the original artwork, "Lady with an Ermine", despite the discrepancy in the animal's species.
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The woman in the fake painting is larger
The Serene Painting in Animal Crossing is based on Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine". This painting is one of only four portraits that da Vinci painted of a woman. In the game, the painting can be purchased from Redd's Treasure Trawler for 4,980 Bells, but players should be aware that a fake version exists.
The fake version of the Serene Painting can be identified by looking at the animal in the woman's arms. In the forgery, the animal has dark markings around its eyes and a yellowish snout, resembling a duck, whereas the real painting features a white ermine. Another way to spot the fake is by looking at the size of the woman in the painting. If she appears larger than she should be, it is a fake. This is a common feature of forged paintings, where the subject is often depicted as being bigger or smaller than they should be in relation to other elements of the composition.
In addition to the size of the woman, players can look out for other discrepancies in the painting. For example, the fake version may have a coffee stain in the corner, or the woman may be depicted with a different hairstyle or expression. The forgeries may also have a different colour palette or lighting, making the overall tone of the painting darker or lighter than the original.
It is important to note that the differences between the real and fake Serene Painting can be subtle, and players may need to zoom in or refer to a guide with comparison images to spot them. However, by carefully inspecting the painting and comparing it to the real-world counterpart, players can learn to identify the fake versions and avoid being ripped off by Redd's counterfeits.
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The fake has a grey ermine, the real has a white ermine
The Serene Painting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is based on the painting "Lady with an Ermine" by Leonardo da Vinci. This painting is one of only four portraits of women painted by da Vinci, one of the others being the "Mona Lisa". The woman in the painting is believed to be the mistress of da Vinci's employer. The ermine, a symbol of purity, is painted at a large size, perhaps to highlight this symbolism.
When purchasing the Serene Painting in Animal Crossing, there is a chance you will be sold a forgery. The fake version of the Serene Painting features a ferret, which is grey, whereas the real version features a white ermine. This is the key difference between the two versions. The fake version of the painting is useless besides decoration as Blathers will not accept it as a donation to the Museum, and it cannot be sold at Nook's Cranny.
The Serene Painting can be purchased from Redd, who shows up on a boat at the island's tiny beach in the north. He will offer a random painting at a high price and then offer a "discount" to 4,980 Bells. This discounted art piece will be genuine. The differences between the real and fake versions of the Serene Painting are hard to spot, especially in the darkness of Redd's boat, so it is recommended to zoom in as much as possible.
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The fake is useless besides decoration
In the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game, players can purchase artworks from Redd’s Treasure Trawler ship, which shows up on the island’s secret beach. However, players should be cautious as there is a chance that the artwork purchased is a fake forgery. Fake forgeries are essentially useless besides decoration as Blathers will not accept them for donations to the Museum, and they cannot be sold at Nook’s Cranny either. Players will need to use a trash furniture item to completely remove fake art.
While the differences between real and fake artworks can be challenging to spot, players can identify fake versions of the Serene Painting by looking at the animal in the woman's arms. The fake painting has a miscoloured animal with varying dark grey shades in the woman’s hands, while the real version has an animal with more consistently white colours. The Serene Painting is based on Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine", one of only four portraits that da Vinci ever painted of a woman.
In addition to the Serene Painting, there are several other artworks in the game that have fake versions. These include the Academic Painting, which has a large coffee stain in the top right in the fake version, and the Amazing Painting, which lacks the large black hat from the person featured in the middle in the fake version. The Fake Scenic Painting is missing a hunter and some dogs, while the Fake Moving Painting lacks trees in the top right corner.
To avoid purchasing fake artworks, players can decline Redd's initial offer of a random painting for 498,000 Bells. After declining, he will offer a “discount” to 4,980 Bells, which will be a genuine art piece. Additionally, some artworks in the game do not have fake versions, such as the Worthy Painting and the Sinking Painting.
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Frequently asked questions
The Serene Painting is based on Leonardo da Vinci's "Lady with an Ermine". The fake painting will show the woman holding a grey ermine, whereas the real painting will show her holding a white ermine.
Redd will often try to sell counterfeit art, so it's important to have a keen eye. You can compare the artwork to its real-world counterpart, looking for differences in focal points, colours, facial features, and clothing.
You can buy the Serene Painting from Redd's Treasure Trawler or Harv's Island for 4,980 Bells.
