All About the Basic Painting in Animal Crossing 2024

The Basic Painting is one of many art pieces players can find in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Each of these in-game items derives from a real-world counterpart. Paintings are used for decoration, whether hung on a wall or displayed on an easel. Artwork can also be donated to the island’s Museum. Many players make it a personal goal to complete the Museum’s art gallery. Here is all you need to know about the Basic Painting.

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What is the Basic Painting?

The Basic Painting is a piece of artwork first introduced in the international version of Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Gamecube. Interestingly, it replaced the Lovely Painting from Doubutsu no Mori+, a Japan-exclusive port and expansion for the Gamecube based on the original Doubutsu no Mori for the Nintendo 64. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the painting can be bought for 4,980 Bells and sold for 1,245 Bells (assuming it is authentic). There are both genuine and forged variants of the Basic Painting, so exercise caution when purchasing it. The fake version of the artwork depicts the boy with long bangs that cover his entire forehead. When viewing the painting’s placard in the Museum, the following description is given:

“Gainsborough was known for his innovative use of colors in his traditional portraits, like this one. Although he preferred painting landscapes, his portraits would be the defining work of his career.”

As alluded to, the Basic Painting is Animal Crossing's version of Thomas Gainsborough's eminent work, The Blue Boy. The oil painting was first exhibited in 1770 at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Originally known as A Portrait of a Young Gentleman, the piece received widespread acclaim instantly. Gainsborough's command of colors stoked wonder as his use of blue was an unconventional choice at the time; warmer tones were more in vogue with artistic sensibilities. By 1798, the painting had been nicknamed The Blue Boy, the name for which it is now formally known. The identity of the boy remains a mystery; conventional wisdom held it was Jonathan Buttall but some believe it is a fictitious character study.

How to Get the Basic Painting

To purchase the Basic Painting, you must wait for Redd to appear in his black market boat, the Treasure Trawler. The Trawler will be docked at the northernmost beach on the player's island. Inside the boat, Redd will be hocking an assortment of artwork and other items. The painting can also be acquired at Redd’s camper on Harv’s Island. It is random whether the Basic Painting will be one of the choices available for purchase. Note that while Redd will attend events like the Fireworks Show, artwork cannot be bought from him during that time.

If Redd has yet to appear on your island, you must ensure you have made at least sixty donations to the Museum. Eventually, Redd will make a series of trips to the island which will result in him becoming a regular visitor. The player can only buy one piece of art from Redd at a time. This can be somewhat circumvented by creating multiple Switch profiles and having 4 player characters. Once the Basic Painting has been donated, the player can visit the Museum and admire it in its designated section. Sometimes the villagers on the island can also be found traipsing about the art gallery and gazing at the assorted works you have assembled.

In Conclusion

Completing the artwork collection in the Museum is a laborious process. Redd’s appearances on the island are sporadic and the limitation of 1 piece per person makes it harder. Thankfully, the WiFi capabilities of Animal Crossing: New Horizons offer easier opportunities to meet other players. There are numerous communities where one can meet and exchange/buy artwork from others. This makes completing the art gallery a much more feasible task. The Basic Painting is just one of the many paintings you will need to shore up your Museum.

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This article was originally written by Chase Martin.