The arduous journey to find a portrait of Beauchêne fils: a famous anatomist and surgeon.

Earlier publications by our group have reported the major contributions of Beauchêne fils, Edme François Chauvot de Beauchêne (1778-1830), a prosector, and surgeon in Paris. These included a variety of firsts: the finding of an intraneural ganglion cyst, the description of the exploded skull (Beauchêne) technique, and the case of air pulmonary embolism. This article describes the exhaustive efforts necessary to locate a portrait of him. Information obtained along the circuitous journey through 13 generations over five centuries will clarify the important medical accomplishments by individuals of a noble family. The discovered portraits will allow scholars to honor accurately the individuals, particularly Beauchêne fils, in the future.