Construction & Materials Codexery

Canvas

Durable plain-woven fabric used for painting, sails, and more.

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Canvas

MangakaMaiden Photography · CC BY 2.0

It serves as a support medium for painting and as a base fabric for embroidery.[1][2] Canvas is a sturdy cloth; its name comes from words meaning "hemp" in Anglo-French, Old French, Vulgar Latin, and Greek, as well as from a Scythian or Thracian word.[3][4]

'Traffic lights' a large abstract painting on canvas, created together by Dutch artists Ben Vollers & Fons Heijnsbroek in 2008; modern colorful abstract drip art sketch for mural - free download image CC0, high resolutions TIFF
'Traffic lights' a large abstract painting on canvas, created together by Dutch artists Ben Vollers & Fons Heijnsbroek in 2008; modern colorful abstract drip art sketch for mural - free download image CC0, high resolutions TIFF. Image: Fons Heijnsbroek · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick Facts

Material
Plain-woven fabric
Historical material
Hemp
Modern materials
  • Cotton
  • linen
  • polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Types
Plain and duck
Classification
By weight (ounces per square yard) and graded number system

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

They applied many layers of lead-white paint and polished the surface to create a glossy, enamel-like finish.[5] The Vulgar Latin cannapaceus, meaning "made of hemp," and the Greek κάνναβις (cannabis) are probable origins for those terms.[3][4] Because it cost less than wooden panels, canvas was often chosen for large paintings destined for country houses.[6] Renaissance masters went to great lengths to stop the canvas's texture from being visible through the paint.[5]

Abstract modern painting art on canvas with oil paint - title, 'no. 5.083' - painted on canvas in 1999 by artist Fons Heijnsbroek - free download art image in high resolution
Abstract modern painting art on canvas with oil paint - title, 'no. 5.083' - painted on canvas in 1999 by artist Fons Heijnsbroek - free download art image in high resolution. Image: Fons Heijnsbroek · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Cross-stitch and Berlin wool work are embroidery types that frequently use canvas as a foundation.[2]

Canvas Fabric 1x1
Canvas Fabric 1x1. Image: Aaron Heffels · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Canvas
Canvas. Image: MangakaMaiden Photography · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Autumnal Retreat in Old Quebec- A Canvas of Fading Reds and Vibrant Oranges
Autumnal Retreat in Old Quebec- A Canvas of Fading Reds and Vibrant Oranges. Image: Wilfredor · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

What the research sources say

Researchers found that increasing humidity decreases the effective elastic modulus of canvas, from 180 MPa at 30% relative humidity to 13 MPa at 90% relative humidity.[7][8] Nanoindentation uses a millimeter-sized cantilever with a microsphere to probe the composite behavior of paint layers on canvas.[9][10] Finite element modeling is used to visualize global and local stresses in canvases undergoing desiccation.[11][12]

Abstract modern painting art on canvas with oil paint in red colors - title, 'no. 4.090' - painted on canvas in 1998 by artist Fons Heijnsbroek - free download art image in high resolution
Abstract modern painting art on canvas with oil paint in red colors - title, 'no. 4.090' - painted on canvas in 1998 by artist Fons Heijnsbroek - free download art image in high resolution. Image: Fons Heijnsbroek · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gordon, xiii (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cluckie, "The Rise and Fall of Art Needlework: Its Socio-Economic and Cultural Aspects", Arena, 2008, p. 60; Saward, "Encyclopedia of Victorian needlework: Dictionary of needlework, Volume 1", Dover Publications, 1887; White, "Primary Embroidery Stitches and Designs", Taylor & Francis; Bendure, "America's fabrics: origin and history, manufacture, characteristics and uses", Macmillan Company, 1946, p. 616; Morris, "Victorian embroidery : an authoritative guide", Dover Publications, 2003, p. 166; Goodridge, "Art activities : that are easy to prepa en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Online Etymology Dictionary", Etymonline.com; "Oxford Dictionaries", Oxford University Press (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. "The Online Etymology Dictionary", Etymonline.com. facts only, no text reused. etymonline.com
  5. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Classical Oil Painting Technique", Cartage.org.lb (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gordon, xv (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Janas, "Mechanical properties and moisture-related dimensional change of canvas paintings–canvas and glue sizing", Heritage Science, 2022-10-10, p. 160 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Arkadiusz Janas, "Mechanical properties and moisture-related dimensional change of canvas paintings–canvas and glue sizing", Heritage Science (2022), doi:10.1186/s40494-022-00794-3. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Maisey, "Conserving Canvas", Project MUSE, 2023; Maisey, "Conserving Canvas", Project MUSE, 2023; Tiennot, "Mapping the mechanical properties of paintings via nanoindentation: a new approach for cultural heritage studies", Scientific Reports, 2020-05-13, p. 7924 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Mathilde Tiennot, "Mapping the mechanical properties of paintings via nanoindentation: a new approach for cultural heritage studies", Scientific Reports (2020), doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64892-7. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Canvas" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lee, "Numerical modelling of mechanical degradation of canvas paintings under desiccation", Heritage Science, 2022-08-12, p. 130 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Daniel Sang‐Hoon Lee, "Numerical modelling of mechanical degradation of canvas paintings under desiccation", Heritage Science (2022), doi:10.1186/s40494-022-00763-w. OpenAlex metadata CC0; paper not read. doi.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Canvas (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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