Over Pablo's Shoulder

Among modern-art enthusiasts, pretty Franchise Gilot, 30, must rest her main claim to fame on her great & good friendship with Pablo Picasso. Since 1945? she has kept house for him on the French Riviera, served as model for dozens of portraits, borne him two children, Claude (four) and Paloma (three). In Paris last week, Franchise made a bid for a bit more attention in her own right: she put on a one-man show of her own paintings for the first time.

Franchise, who paints between household chores, had found her subjects close by: vegetables, flowers, kitchen utensils, portraits of her children. Stylistically she stayed close to home too, turned out canvases that looked as though they might have been painted over the aging master's shoulder. "Picasso never gave me any lessons," said Franchise, "but of course I showed my pictures to him and he showed his pictures to me. Naturally, Picasso has set a most inspiring example with his own work."

At the show's opening last week, Picasso, who considers Franchise's work "Beautiful and serious," arrived early and proudly signed the guest register. Paris critics were less friendly. Only two papers, both of them Communist and thus naturally solicitous for Comrade Picasso, bothered to review the exhibition. Sample: "Franc,oise Gilot expresses simple sentiments in a simple way."

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