Banjo in Art

Warning: Some of these artworks contain racist caricatures of black people or depict white minstrel performers in blackface.

An old book spread featuring an illustration of two instruments that appear to be early banjos
This book entry by Hans Sloane is considered the first ever written and illustrated mention of the banjo.
An oil painting of an older black man with a young boy sitting on his lap and holding a banjo.
Henry Ossawa Tanner’s 1893 oil painting, “The Banjo Lesson“
A painting of a black man wearing a hat and white overalls holding a banjo against a dark blue background.
Jimmy Lee Sudduth’s 1986 mud painting, “Self-Portrait with Banjo”
A lightly colored graphite illustration of an older white woman teaching a young white girl how to play the banjo. It is strikingly similar to Tanner's 1893 painting.
Mary Cassatt’s 1893 print, also titled “The Banjo Lesson”
A colorful watercolor painting featuring two black men, with one dancing and the other playing a banjo.
Nicolino Calyo’s 1835 watercolor painting, “Negro Dancer and Banjo Player”
A very realistic painting of a black person playing a banjo.
William Sidney Mount’s 1856 painting, “Banjo Player.” Notably, this painting marks a turn from Mount’s earlier works that depicted Black people in very stereotypical and racist ways.
A black and white painting of a man with dark skin in a flamboyant outfit playing the banjo.
D. Morrill’s 1860 painting, “Minstrel Banjo Player,” which depicts a minstrel performer who is presumably a white man in blackface.
A black and white painting of four white boys in blackface and a fifth not in blackface. The boy in the center is holding a banjo, clearly demonstrating his unpainted, white hands.
Charles Hunt’s 1873 painting, “The Minstrel Show,” which clearly features four white boys in blackface.
Image Citations

Blount, Jake. “Jail the Zombie: Black Banjoists, Biopolitics, and Archives.” Modern American History 7, no. 2 (2024): 301–6. https://doi.org/10.1017/mah.2024.30.

Khalid, Farisa. “Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Banjo Lesson.” September 9, 2016. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://smarthistory.org/tanner-banjo/. 

‌Lee Sudduth, Jimmy. n.d. Self-Portrait with Banjo Mixed media: mud, paint, and vegetable matter on board. Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection. Accessed October 16, 2025. https://www.si.edu/object/self-portrait-banjo:saam_1997.124.40.

Mary Cassatt (American, 1844-1926). The Banjo Lesson. c. 1893. Drypoint and aquatint in color on pale blue-green laid paper (with monotype inking), Plate: 11 11/16 x 9 3/8 in. (29.7 x 23.8 cm) Sheet: 16 x 10 3/8 in. (40.6 x 26.4 cm) Mat: 19 9/16 x 16 1/2 in. (49.7 x 41.9 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection. https://jstor.org/stable/community.18127610.

Calyo, Nicolino, 1799-1884. Negro Dancer and Banjo Player. 1835. Watercolor, 10×14″. https://jstor.org/stable/community.13586570.

Mount, William Sidney, 1807-1868. Banjo Player. 1856. Suffolk Museum. https://jstor.org/stable/community.13710188.

D. MORRILL (act. ca. 1860), artist. Painting. Minstrel Banjo Player. 1860. Oil; Support: Canvas, Height: 59.7 cm (23 1/2 in); Width: 48.3 cm (19 in). HARTFORD (CT), Wadsworth Atheneum, Ella Gallup Sumner and Mary Catlin Sumner Collection. https://jstor.org/stable/community.14773833.

HUNT Charles (1803–1877), artist. Painting. The Minstrel Show. [18]73. Oil; Support: Canvas., Height: 61 cm. (24 in.).; Width: 91.5 cm. (36 in.). https://jstor.org/stable/community.14777041.