mer ▁ ▁Stud ents ▁of ▁the ▁medical ▁class ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁who ▁commission ed ▁The ▁Ag new ▁C lin ic ▁are ▁port rayed ▁as ▁the ▁audience ▁for ▁the ▁surg ery — as ▁historian ▁Am anda ▁Mah oney ▁points ▁out , ▁all ▁individuals ▁dep icted ▁in ▁the ▁work ▁can ▁be ▁identified ▁by ▁name , ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁patient — and ▁this ▁audience ▁of ▁male ▁medical ▁students ▁creates ▁a ▁composition ▁that ▁highlight s ▁power ▁dynamics ▁between ▁the ▁mascul ine ▁and ▁the ▁femin ine ▁in ▁the ▁academic ▁medical ▁hierarchy . ▁Central ▁to ▁the ▁medical ▁care ▁of ▁the ▁patient ▁yet ▁separate ▁in ▁her ▁femin inity ▁stands ▁the ▁woman ▁in ▁white — the ▁nur se , ▁Mary ▁C ly mer , ▁who ▁serves ▁as ▁the ▁sur geon ▁Ag new ' s ▁" struct ural ▁counter part " ▁in ▁the ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁painting , ▁the ▁only ▁other ▁figure ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁level ▁as ▁the ▁sur geon . ▁ ▁Cred ited ▁by ▁the ▁Hospital ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁( H UP ) ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁trained ▁operating ▁room ▁nur se ▁in ▁Philadelphia , ▁Mary ▁V . ▁C ly mer ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Mer cer ▁County , ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁to ▁a ▁prominent ▁Civil ▁War ▁veter an . ▁At ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 2 8 , ▁C ly mer ▁en rolled ▁in ▁the ▁Hospital ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁Training ▁School ▁for ▁N urs es . ▁Gr adu ating ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁at ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁her