The big white statues
The big white statues
The statue of Saint Bartholomew forms a pair with that of Saint Ermelinde, which faces him in the other arm of the transept. Commissioned to Robert Verburg (1654-1720) by a canon of the collegiate church, they show the vigor and talent of the Liège school of sculpture which had its moment of glory in the 17th century thanks to Arnold Hontoire (1650-1709) and the incomparable Jean Del Cour (1631-1707). Verburg was the disciple and successor of Hontoire.
Renier Panhay de Rendeux (1684-1733), another student of Hontoire, signed and dated this sculpture. The mother and her child form a dynamic and charming group that perpetuates the 18th century tradition of Virgins inspired by the work of Jean Del Cour, characterized by powerful modeling, supple drapery, and the fullness of the swirling fabrics that develop or swirl around the bodies.