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Show j The Story r.p a Picture. The! j list painting from the easel of Mr. G. j 1 M. Ouinrer not only adds to the hon-! . or he has already won, but his an es-c-C':d:ndy romantic story :'or it.-.-uljoc;. The picture is entitled "Marina mock-: ing the Mexican War God," and the story, briefly told, runs thu: Marina was the daughter of a Cazi-: Cazi-: i'iue having dominion over the township : of Painala. Her father died when she was very young, and her mother married mar-ried another Cazique. By him she (the mother) had a son; and in order that the daughter of the first marriage ; might not stand in the Eon's way, : Marina was secretly conveyed away, ;and sold or given to the rulers of Tabasco, Ta-basco, by whom she was given (after their defeat) to Corter, . along with nineteen other females. The next day they were baptized. Clavigero, Bernal Diaz, Gomasa, and in fact all the writers concerning the conquest, speak of Marina as being very intelligent, handsome and "a most valuable instrument instru-ment in the conquest of New Spain." Mexitfi, the Mexican god of war, and the one most revered by them, was a bloodthirsty deity, his priests demanding demand-ing more humao victims for sacrifice than all the other Mexican gods together. to-gether. Naturally, one would suppose a deity like this would be more feared than loved. Marina doubtless trembled trem-bled at the name of Merit li, for she did not know at what hour the priests might demand and offer her bleeding heart on the altar. But the Spaniards came, who in their religious zeal tore down temples, crushed altars, and hurled the stone - painted Mex-, itli with contempt to the ground. They erected the cross, (heir symbol, and with cannon and sword compelled the great nation to bow and do reverence. Marina saw all ; this. She was courted, caressed audi flattered by the conquerors, aud was1 baptized. This brings m to the pic- i ture. ! It is sunset; tho sun of Mexican glory goes down; Marina, still true to! her nature, clothed in her fancy In-i dian costume, reclines on the broken, : battered altar of the god the altar cn , which you see recorded the humiliation of kings offering tribute tribute to1 the god whose stone image, broken, mutilated and overturned in one heap of ruins lies behind tho altar. The setting sua i!lumc3 the unauimated, stony features of the degraded Mex-itli, Mex-itli, and Marina, in her joy, holds up tho cross and contemptuously flickers its shadow over the face that awes her no more. The dross, altar, temple, and all the details of the picture, are strictly historical. his-torical. Tho painting has been ten months on tho easel, and as it hangs on exhibition in Mr. Savage's gallery the many friends of the artist congratulate him on his success. Mr. Ottinger has entered upon a new field in transferring to canvass his vivid ideas of aboriginal American life, and one which affords vast scope to the artist, rich in coloring, scenery and tho material for attractive paintings. Wo regret that this work of art haa to leave the Territory, as it will be sent cast, we understand, in a few days to Philadelphia. |