Bookcases

The library closes the succession of rooms forming the king’s apartment. It is both a library and a gallery. This room was built in addition to the original plans. Its presence is indicative of Armand Gaston de Rohan's taste for books.
Seven book cases occupy the lower part of the room. They were executed in mahogany by the cabinetmaker Bernard Kocke between 1738 and 1741. The bookcases are decorated by rich ornaments in fire-gilded bronze. They are surmounted by shelves in Flanders marble on which are placed vases and busts in the ancient style.
Today, these bookcases contain works from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They replace the original books destroyed in 1870 in the fire at the Strasbourg municipal library where they had been transferred during the French Revolution.
The portraits of Louis XIV and Louis XV from Hyacinthe Rigaud were destroyed during the revolution and replaced by copies in the 20th century. On the other hand, the four paintings depicting the Evangelists are the original copies ordered by the Prince-Bishop for this room. They are accompanied by the last four tapestries in the Histoire de Constantin series.