Out of the Woods

For nearly half a century, Pablo Picasso's giant shadow 'had lengthened over Paris. So far, none of the brood of younger painters who had mushroomed at his feet had grown quite clear of that shadow. But last week Andre Marchand, who has long been considered one of Picasso's most promising followers, showed signs. The cause of those signs was the talk of Paris.

Forty-year-old Marchand had had a young girl friend and model whose classic head and swan neck he turned into Picassoid portraits—hammered, twisted, bilious. Then one day—so said Parisian rumor—Picasso had taken Marchand's girl...