Art: Hit of Paris

At noon the visitors began tapping at the window of the Galerie Claude Bernard on Paris' Rue des Beaux-Arts, and all afternoon the crowd swelled. By the time of the official opening at 9 p.m., traffic was at a standstill, and police reinforcements had been called into action. By such signs, Parisians knew they were witnessing France's newest art-world success, Nuts-and-Bolts Sculptor Césarsar Baldaccini. "Hail, César!" roared Combat. "The Benvenuto Cellini of scrap metal." trumpeted France-Observateur. Wiping his brow, Gallery Owner Bernard beamed: "Even Picasso doesn't pull them in any better."

When tiny...

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