“Our collection in the Hampton University Museum is one-of-a-kind. We are excited that Disney/Pixar decided to share a piece from our remarkable collection with the world in ‘Soul.’ It is fitting that the movie is now their latest Academy Award-winning film,” said Hampton University President, Dr. William R. Harvey.
“Soul,” released on Christmas Day via Disney +, introduces Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) – a middle-school band teacher who gets the chance of a lifetime to play at the best jazz club in town. One misstep takes him from the streets of New York City to The Great Before – a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks, and interests before they go to Earth.
So where does Hampton University come in? When Joe returns to Earth in the body of the cat, he goes back to his apartment. There, you will see a very familiar picture hanging on the wall (approx. at the 46:12 mark). The picture is The Banjo Lesson, Henry O. Tanner’s most famous painting, which reflects his conscious commitment to depicting African Americans in a compassionate manner. This painting has resided in Hampton University’s Museum since 1894!
“A favorite of visitors to the Museum today, the painting was also well received in its time. The Banjo Lesson was admitted into the Paris Salon, the most prestigious annual juried exhibition in the city. Robert C. Ogden, a philanthropist, and chair of the then Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute’s Board of Trustees bought the painting and donated it to Hampton in November of 1894,” said Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward, Director of the Hampton University Museum and Archives. “The Banjo Lesson and another Tanner piece, The Lion’s Head (also owned by the Hampton University Museum), represent the first works of African American art to be collected by an American institution and form the cornerstone of Hampton’s outstanding fine arts collection.”
Henry O. Tanner (1859-1937)
The Banjo Lesson, 1893
Oil on canvas
49” x 35 ½”
Gift of Robert C. Ogden
Collection of Hampton University Museum
If you’re wondering how Tanner’s famous piece found its way to the “Magic Kingdom” or appears in other instances in pop culture, Dr. Thaxton-Ward explains the process of sharing this gem with the world.
“The Hampton University Museum was contacted in 2019 by a representative from Disney requesting permission to use the image of The Banjo Lesson in their upcoming Pixar feature, ‘Soul,’” said Thaxton-Ward. “We went through all of the proper administrative paperwork, signatures on both sides, and exchange of a fee for them to use the image. Although The Banjo Lesson is in the public domain because of its age, interested parties, are requesting the use of the official, high-res, image, as well as providing Hampton University with the correct credit for owning the original painting. We also recently permitted Google Lens, which is in partnership with the New York Times, to utilize The Banjo Lesson image in a Google Lens Ad for their app. This is probably the most requested image for scholarly publications, including school books, journals, and museum exhibitions since they can’t have the original. The Banjo Lesson has not traveled a lot.”
“Soul” is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, digital streaming on Disney+.
