George Henry Taggart was born in Port Washington, New York in 1865. A portraitist and genre painter, he was the first significant artist from outside Utah since Enoch Wood Perry. He died in 1924.

Taggart studied at Académie Julian with Bouguereau, Ferrier, and Lefebvre. He exhibited his work Travailleurs des Champs at the Paris salon. He came to Salt Lake City to take care of a lung ailment in 1900 and stayed for several summers.

Taggart's work was recognized at the Expo Toulouse France and at the Salon d'Automne where he won a prize. His work is in the Brigham Young University, and other Utah arts collections as well as the collections of the Palace of the Governor, City of Mexico.

Biography adapted from Artists of Utah.

George Henry Taggart (1865-1924) was a rather sophisticated portrait and figurative genre specialist from New York City, who arrived in Provo for health reasons at the turn-of-the-century. Over a stretch of two summers, he painted some unusually fine and richly realist and/or tonal impressionist work in Utah and at the same time contributed to the artistic development of local painter Samuel Jepperson. They became good friends and sketching companions during the time; Taggart also worked and was friendly with John Hafen. There are representative Taggart works in various portrait collections in Utah: The Alice Art Collection of the Utah Arts Council, the Pioneer Village Collection at the Lagoon Resort, etc. By 1900, this talented painter and sometime teacher had departed Sam Jepperson's Utah County fruit orchard for a more urban setting. As the new century opened, he moved to 211 South Sixth East, Salt Lake City.

Biography courtesy Artists of Utah.

Books

Davenport, Ray. Davenport's Art Reference. Ventura, CA: Davenport's Art Reference.

Dawdy, Doris Ostrander. Artists of the American West: A Biographical Dictionary. Chicago. IL: Sage Books, 1974-1985.

Dunbier, Lonnie Pierson, ed. The Artists Bluebook. Scottsdale, AZ: AskART.com, 2003.

Falk, Peter Hastings. Who Was Who in American Art: 1564-1975. Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1999.

Falk, Peter Hastings. Annual Exhibition Record: 1901-1919. National Academy of Design. Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1990.

Falk, Peter Hastings. Annual Exhibition Record: 1876-1919. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1989.

Falk, Peter Hastings. Who Was Who in American Art Artists Active 1898-1947. Madison, CT: Sound View Press, 1985.

Fielding, Mantle and Glenn B. Opitz, eds. Mantle Fielding's Dictionary American Painters, Sculptors and Engravers. Poughkeepsie, NY: Apollo, 1986.

Fink, Lois Marie. American Art at the Paris Salons Nineteenth Century. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, 1990.

Gerdts, William. Art Across America (West). Vol. 3. New York, NY: Abbeville Press, 1990.

Mallett, Daniel Trowbridge. Index of Artists International Biographical. New York, NY: Smith, 1948.

Neumaier, Linda T. and Eugene Mantie. Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery Collection Illustrated Checklist. WA: Published for the National Portrait Gallery by the Smithsonian Institution Press, 1978.

Olpin, Robert S., William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson. Artists of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith, l999.

Olpin, Robert S. Dictionary of Utah Art. Salt Lake City, UT: Salt Lake Art Center, l980.

Oman, Richard G., and Robert O. Davis. Images of Faith: Art of the Latter-Day Saints. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Co., 1995.

Swanson ,Vern G., Robert S. Olpin, and William C. Seifrit. Utah Painting and Sculpture. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1997.

Swanson, Vern G., Robert S. Olpin, and William C. Seifrit. Utah Art. Layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Publishing Co, 1991.

Taggart, Scott. George Henry and Jessie McNiven Taggart. Salt Lake City, UT: Taggart & Company, 1973.