this was not where mary white morris or robert morris lived or any place in philadelphia. it is imaginary, but it is symbolic. it is what charles willson peale wants you to think about mary white morris. the reason why these are these busts, they are recognizable -- here is george washington, and these other figures are the busts of other political writers from england and america. what is that kind of thing doing in an 18th-century woman's portrait? what it is doing there is telling us that mary white morris has read all of these authors, understands the political theory of her era, and espouses it. we've got music and we've got intellect. and that is really what he is trying to say, behind this beautiful facade, there is a woman of substance. what we know about mary white morris's biography, she is a credible -- incredible what she achieved. she is a woman -- an aristocratic one, but a woman nonetheless, living in an area controlled by men. and yet, mary white morris becomes her husband's inherited business partner after her husband winds up in prison because he can't pay

mary white morris' husband was robert morris, the financier of the american revolution. he was so wealthy during the colonial period in the 1780's that he could finance the american revolution with his own private money. and if he hadn't done that, it is highly unlikely the american revolution could have gotten off on a good start. and mary white morris is ostensibly in this portrait, is portrayed in way that is meant to impress you and make you see how wealthy she is, how important her standing is. you might think that means that is all that is important about her, is that she had a lot of money and could dress fancy, but in effect what charles willson done has done with this portrait is he included much more information about her than you might think. but additional information helps -- to know more about her as a real person. i would point out those aspects. these are called attributes in the painting. you will see in the upper left corner, the ghost of an outline. it is a sculpture. muse ofure is of the music. he's holding a trumpet. the reason why it is in her paint

mary white morris is shown in an and extravagant costume. she becomes her husband's inherited business partner after her husband winds up in prison. morris's husband was robert morris, referred to as the financier of the american revolution. when you were in debt you can just a clear chapter 11 or bankruptcy, you had to pay up or go to jail. how are you going to pay your debts? kind of a strange dichotomy. mary white morris made the money and got herself out of prison. this is not somebody who sits on a soft cushion all day. she is really a woman for the new republic. >> watch the entire tour for the portrait gallery in philadelphia at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. eastern sunday on american artifacts. american history tv, only on c-span three. >> recently american history tv was at the annual meeting in denver colorado. with professors come authors, and graduate students about their research. this interview is about 20 minutes. >> we are with susan lederer. a medical history professor at the university of wisconsin. you focus on bioethics. how did atti

mary white morris, a woman in philadelphia from the colonial. into the 19th century. this was a private commission. paid charless, she willson peale to paint this picture of her. and she is shown in and extravagant costumes. she's wearing a turban with others and jules. withas a kate and sash golden french. she looks like someone who can buy the world. that was the whole point of this picture. peale was hired by her and her husband to paint this painting and a companion portrait of her husband. husband wasmorris's robert morris, the financier of the american revolution. he was so wealthy during the the 1780'sriod in that he could finance of the american revolution with his own private money. that, it hadn't done is highly unlikely it could have gotten off on a good start. and mary white morris is ostensibly in this portrait, is way that is meant to impress you and make you see how wealthy she is, how important her standing is. you might think that that is all that is important about her, is that she had a lot of money and could dress fancy, but in fact what cut deal d