Artwork copyright Pat De Caro. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Takkobad II, 1987

Pat De Caro
American (born 1951, died 2025)

Location: Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia

About the Artwork

Takkobad II is a bold and colorful painting created by artist Pat De Caro. She based the imagery on Puyallup myths about Mount Rainier. Takkobad is one of the many names for Mount Rainier. De Caro notes, "The story tells of a beautiful maiden who lived in the Puyallup Valley. She married a man who already had one wife and, when she joined them, the two women were jealous of each other and quarreled constantly. Eventually the quarreling became so fierce that the second wife decided to take her small son and go back to her own Tribe who lived across the water. As she pulled away from the shore, she said to her son 'Takkobad,' which means 'don't forget the snow water.' From that day on, she was referred to as Takkobad. The Great Changer punished her for leaving her husband and transformed her into a snow­capped mountain so that all might see it and be warned. In the painting, we see Takkobad symbolically represented by the simple triangular mountain and as a mask representing her spirit weeping for her personal misfortune."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Washington State Arts Commission.

About the Artist

Seattle-based artist Pat De Caro created paintings, drawings and prints that explore narrative imagery. She taught art at Bellevue College and has exhibited her work internationally.
Originally from Philadelphia, Pat De Caro has lived in the Northwest since 1980. She studied art at Temple University and the Tyler School of Art, both in Philadelphia. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Washington in Seattle. She also taught art at Seattle University, Western Washington University, the University of Washington, and the Pratt Institute. She received the 2012 Twining Humber Award for lifetime artistic achievement.