Overview: Reiner of Huy
Renier of Huy was a 12th century metalworker and sculptor to whom many masterpieces of Mosan art, including the baptismal font at St. Bartholomew's Church in Liege, Belgium, are attributed. The Meuse River valley in modern Belgium and France, roughly comprising the Diocese of Liège, was the leading 12th century center of Romanesque metalwork, which at the time was still the most prestigious medium in art. Nothing is known of Rainer's life other than that he was mentioned in a document of 1125 as a goldsmith; however, a 14th century chronicle mentions him as the artist of the font. He may have died around 1150. Although Reiner of Huy is traditionally accepted to be the creator of the font, this attribution, and even the Mosan origin of the font, have been questioned, and alternative theories have been advanced.
Baptismal Font at St. Bartholomew's Church
The font is a major masterpiece of Mosan art, remarkable for the classicism of its style. The basin is 91 centimeters (36 inches) across at the top, tapering slightly toward the base, and is variously described as of brass or bronze. It was made by the lost-wax casting technique, with the basin cast in a single piece. The size was not necessarily exceptional, as both church bells and cauldrons for large households were probably cast at comparable sizes; some church doors that were cast in a single piece, though flat, were much larger.
The font sat on twelve oxen (two of which are now missing) which emerged from a stone plinth, a reference to the "molten sea... on twelve oxen" that were cast in bronze for Solomon's temple. The five scenes shown, identified by Latin inscriptions (tituli) on the rim above and in the image field, can be read in chronological sequence. They include two scenes of John the Baptist, the Baptism of Christ, St. Peter baptizing Cornelius the Centurion, and St. John the Evangelist baptizing the philosopher Craton.
Baptismal Font at St. Bartholomew's Church
Reiner of Huy, a 12th century metalworker and sculptor, is generally attributed with creating the baptismal font at St. Bartholomew's Church.
Possible Other Works
The only other work generally agreed to be by the same master as the font is a small bronze crucifix figure now located in Schnütgen Museum, Cologne. Another crucifix in Brussels is probably from the same mould but with extra chasing. Others in Brussels and Dublin are thought to be from the same workshop, as they have many similarities to the Cologne bronze crucifix.