Photo of the Day: Sculpture’s ‘Turn’ at PPG Place, Pittsburgh

From my brief stay in Pittsburgh at the start of this month, I was torn between which of two photos of PPG Place to use. The one I posted yesterday is here.

But I couldn’t resist another one. When I took the photo of the sculpture accompanying this post, I knew nothing about the dancers caught in their twirl, other than that the scene appealed, somehow, to me.

Planted in my subconscious was the reason for my interest: This sculpture by Seward Johnson, "A Turn of the Century," was inspired by an 1883 life-sized painting by impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir, “Dance at Bougival.” The statue will remain on display in the city until October 3, when an ice rink is installed. (See this article by Sarah Schneider of The Pittsburgh Press for details on the sculpture's installation in June.)

Wherever you turn in Pittsburgh, you’ll see visual reminders of the emigrants from the Old World who built this city. I can think of few more vivid examples of this heritage, temporary as it will be, as this 20-foot-tall, 14,440-pound monumental bronze sculpture.