early life and career toussaint antoine de chazal de chamerel, a french colon, was born in port-louis, mauritius in 1770. he settled in mauritius as a planter and later became a prominent politician and painter. de chazal's artistic talents were largely self-taught, with a focus on portraiture. notable works de chazal is best known for his portrait of british cartographer matthew flinders, which showcases his skill in capturing the ess…