J. Seward Johnson Jr., renowned sculptor and heir to the Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, died this week at his home in Key West, Florida. He was 89 and died Tuesday of cancer, according to a published report.

Johnson’s sculptures were literally larger than life, such as a supersized depiction of the celebration at the end of World War II when a sailor kissed a nurse in New York’s Times Square.

J. Seward Johnson, sculptor and heir to Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, died on March 10. One of his works was a recreation of an iconic photo.

Another one of his works, “Double Check”, a disheveled businessman sitting on a bench going through his briefcase, survived the destruction of the World Trade Centers in 2001.

The sculpture in Liberty Park outside of the Trade Centers was so lifelike firefighters frequently mistook it for an actual victim of the attack that needed to be rescued, according to a report in the New York Times.

The New Jersey native son was also known for his 42-acre Grounds for Sculpture in Trenton, which featured dozens of his works laid out in a lifelike, doubletake fantasy exhibit. He opened it in 1992.

It also featured a foundry for other emerging artists to craft their works.

One of Seward Johnson's lifelike sculptures.The Saginaw News/MLive.com

“We have all these paths in the park that go different ways and we want people to use their own intuition about which path to take, which has nothing to do with what anyone would teach about art,” said Johnson in a 2014 interview with NJ Advance Media.

He also encourages people to go their own way when interpreting the art itself.

“Art has its own message for each viewer and it must be viscerally received to have it be powerful,” he said.

Johnson explained what he hoped the park brings to someone who might not be particularly knowledgeable about contemporary art.

“It’s easy sometimes to forget the simple things that give us pleasure,” a statement on Steward Johnson Atelier website said. “If we open our eyes, life is marvelous.”

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips.

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