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Why was Henri Rousseau known as le Douanier?
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Henri Rousseau
Myself: Portrait-Landscape, oil on canvas by Henri Rousseau, 1890; in the National Gallery, Prague. 146 × 113 cm.
Henri Rousseau was known as le Douanier, which translates to "the Customs Officer," because he worked as a tax collector in the Paris toll office starting in 1871. Although the term implies a customs role, the toll office where he was employed did not actually perform any real customs functions. He held this position until his retirement in 1893, at which point he dedicated himself entirely to his painting career.1