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Massive Sculpture Based On Famous Painting Dances Into Market Square

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The sounds of strings mingled with splashing and laughing. It all happened under the shadow of two towering Parisian dancers in Market Square.

The massive sculpture, based on a famous painting, was unveiled Tuesday.

Artist Seward Johnson designed the sculpture based on Renoir's painting "A Dance at Bougival."

It stands 20-feet tall and weighs more than 14,000 pounds and is here till October with the support of the Laurel Foundation.

Johnson's art has captured Pittsburgh's heart before when 15 of his realistic bronze figures dotted Gateway Center downtown.

This time, the dancers are in PPG Plaza, which is the closest thing to a European piazza where the original painting was set.

Eva Zukowski would know; she's originally from Poland.

"I love it," said Zukowski. "I love Pittsburgh, the greatest city in the world."

The larger-than-life dancers inspired new work by Point Park University dancers, who then encouraged those gathered to join in.

The hope was that after the show the sculpture would inspire more people to come downtown, to imagine an evening in France and to take a spin themselves.

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