Fine portrait of important medical researcher into cholera and scurvy, Pierre François Keraudren. Although Keraudren did not sail with Baudin, he played a formative part in the outfitting of the expedition, because in his role as a French naval surgeon he wrote the instructions to be followed on board to preserve the health of the sailors on the long expedition.

Fine portrait of important medical researcher into cholera and scurvy, Pierre François Keraudren. Although Keraudren did not sail with Baudin, he played a formative part in the outfitting of the expedition, because in his role as a French naval surgeon he wrote the instructions to be followed on board to preserve the health of the sailors on the long expedition.

It has also been suggested that Keraudren intended to sail, but was overlooked for some reason; certainly he had a good relationship with many on board, notably Lesueur, and several important Australian landfalls including both Point and Cape Keraudren in western Australia were named in his honour. In 1804, soon after the return of the vessels, he also published his important work on scurvy, Réflexions sommaires sur le scorbut, which took into account the devastation wrought by the disease on the Baudin expedition.

The portrait was engraved by Ambroise Tardieu (1788-1841), an accomplished artist who published a series of portraits of great contemporary scientists including Sir Joseph Banks, Volta and Ampere.