Description:Portrait of Joseph Tagg posed seated and facing three-quarter right with eyes turned to look at the viewer and a closed smile on his lips. He is wearing a bright yellow vest with fabric covered buttons over his high-necked dress shirt and has a black loose tie at the raised neck of the shirt. He is also wearing a dark coat with only the opening and shoulders visible. His hair is dark and parted on the left side. The background of the painting appears to be a mottled landscape.
History:These two paintings (this one and the one of his wife, Matilda Walker Miller Tagg) have been passed down through the family line. They are of the owner's great great grandparents. The owner is the last descendant of this line of relatives and is looking for a suitable home for these two paintings after his death.
Notes:Joseph Tagg was born in February 1825. He married Matilda Walker Miller on 29 February 1848 in Memphis, Tennessee. The subject operated a paint company in Memphis with some success. He became a widower in October 1856 when Matilda died in childbirth. He died 25 March 1907 in Memphis.
