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 essence of his subjects. this piece, titled portrait of captain matthew flinders, rn, 1774-1814 (50 x 64 cm, art gallery of south australia, oil on canvas), is a t…