I believe the correct answer is: patient’s mother.
“The Gross Clinic” (also known as “The Clinic of Dr. Gross”)
is an oil on canvas painting by American artist Thomas Eakins in 1785. The
painting is based on a surgery in which Gross treated a young man for
osteomyelitis of the femur. The lone woman seen at the painting is considered
to be the patient’s mother and had raised many criticisms.
Eric Hosking was the first.
