The Bardic Unicorn

The “Glowing Painting” is kind of a sad painting, if you ask me.

The “Glowing Painting” is always genuine.

Once you get a hold of the Glowing Painting, take it over to Blathers to put in your museum. Once he does, he’ll add a plaque below it with a description that will read as follows:

The Fighting Temeraire, Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1839

Oil on canvas

A famous piece by Turner, a “painter of light.” It shows an English Navy ship commanded by Admiral Nelson as it’s being tugged toward its dismantling.

The facts displayed in the museum always amuse me. Sometimes, he’ll hint at how great the work of art is. And sometimes, he forgets to mention that this painting was voted as The Greatest Painting in Britain! (You might notice that the list contains other great works, like the Flowery Painting, or the Proper Painting!)

Another fun fact: the glowing painting also appears on the back of a £20!

Although this is a very popular painting, and certainly a very pretty one, it’s a bit sad to me. It features a ship being tugged towards a shipyard to be dismantled. Sure, the ship has lived a good life and certainly did her duty – but it’s still sad to see anything so noble being sent to its death!

This was a well-loved piece of art. Both by the nation and by the artist. The artist kept it in his studio until his death – refusing to sell it! Seemed like everyone who happened to see it loved it. So much so, that he once even received a ‘blank-check’ offer—which he turned down!

After his death, he reportedly meant to leave this to the nation, but his will was unclear. (Have a good lawyer, folks.) His will was, of course, contested by family. This type of thing tends to happen when you have things of value after you die. But eventually, the painting ended up in the National Gallery, where it remains today.

Looking for more information on the art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Check out the master list of all the art available!