REINER DE HUY
(d. ca. 1150, Neufmoustier)

Baptismal font

1107-18
Cast bronze, height 60 cm, diameter 80 cm
Saint-Barthélemy, Liège

Fonts of this design, cast in brass and chased, have been attributed to Reiner de Huy (Rainier of Huy); this one was made on commission from Abbot Hellinus (1107-1118) for the church of Notre-Dame-des-Fonts in Liège. Around the font appear in turn the Baptism of Christ; the baptism of the centurion Cornelius and of the philosopher Crato; John the Baptist preaching to the publicans; and the baptism of the publicans. Twelve oxen alluding to the apostles adorn the support. This work represents the logical issue of the art of the 10th- and 11th-century Mosan ivory and bronze workers. The poses and the handling of the drapery presuppose a deep understanding and total assimilation of antique models.