View source for Canvas

{{Short description|Extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric}}{{Distinguish|Canvassing|Canva}}{{About|the fabric}}
[[File:Sjömanssäck - 1991.jpg|thumb|Sailor bag made of canvas]]
[[File:MetroBrussel Erasmus.jpg|thumb|Canvas roof at the [[Erasmus metro station|Erasmus station]] of the [[Brussels Metro]]]]
[[File:Bitwa pod Grunwaldem Muzeum Narodowe 05.JPG|thumb|300px|One of [[Poland]]'s biggest canvas paintings, the ''[[Battle of Grunwald (painting)|Battle of Grunwald]]'', 1878, by [[Jan Matejko]] (426 cm × 987 cm (168 in × 389 in)), displayed in the [[National Museum, Warsaw|National Museum]] in [[Warsaw]]<ref name=warsawtour1>{{cite web |title=National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe) |url=http://www.warsawtour.pl/en/tourist-attractions/national-museum-muzeum-narodowe-1873.html |work=www.warsawtour.pl |access-date=20 October 2013 |quote=the largest Polish painting "Battle of Grunwald" by Jan Matejko (426 x 987 cm). |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007071641/http://www.warsawtour.pl/en/tourist-attractions/national-museum-muzeum-narodowe-1873.html |archive-date=7 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>]]
'''Canvas''' is an extremely durable [[Plain weave|plain-woven]] [[Cloth|fabric]] used for making [[sail]]s, [[tent]]s, [[Tent#Marquees and larger tents|marquees]], [[backpack]]s, [[Shelter (building)|shelters]], as a [[Support (art)|support]] for [[oil painting]] and for other items for which sturdiness is required, as well as in such [[fashion]] objects as [[Handbag|handbags]], electronic device cases, and [[Shoe|shoes]]. It is popularly used by [[Artist|artists]] as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame.

Although historically made from [[hemp]], modern canvas is usually made of [[cotton]], [[linen]], or sometimes [[polyvinyl chloride]] (PVC).  It differs from other heavy cotton fabrics, such as [[denim]], in being [[plain weave]] rather than [[Twill|twill weave]]. Canvas comes in two basic types: plain and [[Cotton duck|duck]]. The threads in duck canvas are more tightly woven. The term ''duck'' comes from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] word for cloth, ''doek''.  In the [[United States]], canvas is classified in two ways: by weight (ounces per square yard) and by a graded number system. The numbers run in reverse of the weight so a number 10 canvas is lighter than number 4.

The word "canvas" is derived from the 13th century [[Anglo-Norman language|Anglo-French]] ''canevaz'' and the [[Old French]] ''canevas''. Both may be derivatives of the [[Vulgar Latin]] ''cannapaceus'' for "made of [[hemp]]", originating from the Greek {{lang|grc|κάνναβις}} ([[cannabis]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=canvas |title=The Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |access-date=2012-05-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/canvas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313232313/http://oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/canvas |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 13, 2013 |title=Oxford Dictionaries |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=2014-03-01}}</ref>

==For painting==
{{also|Support (art)}}
[[Image:Splined Canvas.jpg|thumb|left|Canvas on [[stretcher bar]]]]
Canvas has become a common [[Support (art)|support]] medium for  [[oil painting]], acrylic painting, pour paint, watercolor, etc., replacing [[panel painting|wooden panels]]. One of the earliest surviving oils on canvas is a French ''Madonna with angels'' from around 1410 in the [[Gemäldegalerie, Berlin]]. Its use in [[Saint George and the Dragon (Uccello)|''Saint George and the Dragon'']] by [[Paolo Uccello]] in about 1470,<ref>Gordon, xiii</ref> and [[Sandro Botticelli]]'s ''[[Birth of Venus]]'' in the 1480s was still unusual for the period.  Large paintings for country houses were more likely to be on canvas, as it  was less expensive  than panel painting.  <ref>Gordon, xv</ref>  Another common category of paintings on lighter cloth such as [[linen]] was in [[Distemper (paint)|distemper]] or glue, often used for banners to be carried in procession. This is a less durable medium, and surviving examples such as [[Dirk Bouts]]' ''[[The Entombment (Bouts)|Entombment]]'', in distemper on linen (1450s, [[National Gallery]]) are rare, and often rather faded in appearance.

Panel painting remained more common until the 16th century in [[Italy]] and the 17th century in Northern Europe. [[Andrea Mantegna|Mantegna]] and Venetian artists were among those leading the change; Venetian sail canvas was readily available and regarded as the best quality.

[[File:3D Schildersdoek.JPG|thumb|left|Canvas stretched on wooden frame]]

Canvas is usually stretched across a wooden frame called a [[Stretcher bar|stretcher]] and may be coated with [[gesso]] prior to being used to prevent oil paint from coming into direct contact with the canvas fibers which would eventually cause the canvas to decay. A traditional and flexible chalk gesso is composed of [[lead carbonate]] and linseed oil, applied over a [[rabbit skin glue]] [[Ground (art)|ground]]; a variation using [[titanium white]] pigment and calcium carbonate is rather brittle and susceptible to cracking. As [[lead paint|lead-based paint]] is poisonous, care has to be taken in using it. Various alternative and more flexible canvas primers are commercially available, the most popular being a synthetic latex paint composed of [[titanium dioxide]] and [[calcium carbonate]], bound with a thermo-plastic emulsion.

Many artists have painted onto unprimed canvas, such as [[Jackson Pollock]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theblurb.com.au/Issue22/Pollock.htm |title=Jackson Pollock – A Life |publisher=Theblurb.com.au |date=2002-10-04 |access-date=2012-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321063621/http://theblurb.com.au/Issue22/Pollock.htm |archive-date=2012-03-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Kenneth Noland]], [[Francis Bacon (painter)|Francis Bacon]], [[Helen Frankenthaler]], [[Dan Christensen]], [[Larry Zox]], [[Ronnie Landfield]], [[Color Field]] painters, [[Lyrical Abstraction]]ists and others. Staining acrylic paint into the fabric of cotton duck canvas was more benign and less damaging to the fabric of the canvas than the use of oil paint. In 1970, artist [[Helen Frankenthaler]] commented about her use of staining:
<blockquote>When I first started doing the stain paintings, I left large areas of canvas unpainted, I think, because the canvas itself acted as forcefully and as positively as paint or line or color. In other words, the very ground was part of the medium, so that instead of thinking of it as background or negative space or an empty spot, that area did not need paint because it had paint next to it. The thing was to decide where to leave it and where to fill it and where to say this doesn't need another line or another pail of colors. It's saying it in space.<ref>De Antonio, Emile. ''Painters Painting, a Candid History of The Modern Art Scene 1940–1970'', p. 82, Abbeville Press 1984, {{ISBN|0-89659-418-1}}</ref></blockquote>

[[File:Kessel Bleaching of canvas.jpg|thumb|[[Bleachfield|Bleaching-fields]] covered with sheets of new-made textiles, probably [[linen]], very possibly canvas, 1670s near Haarlem in the Netherlands]]
Early canvas was made of [[linen]], a sturdy brownish fabric of considerable strength. Linen is particularly suitable for the use of oil paint. In the early 20th century, cotton canvas, often referred to as "[[cotton duck]]", came into use. Linen remains popular with many professional artists, especially those who work with oil paint. Cotton duck, which stretches more fully and has an even, mechanical weave, offers a more economical alternative. The advent of [[acrylic paint]] has greatly increased the popularity and use of cotton duck canvas. Linen and cotton derive from two entirely different plants, the [[flax]] plant and the cotton plant, respectively.

Gessoed canvases on stretchers are also available. They are available in a variety of weights: light-weight is about {{cvt|4|oz/yd2}} or {{cvt|5|oz/yd2}}; medium-weight is about {{cvt|7|oz/yd2}} or {{cvt|8|oz/yd2}}; heavy-weight is about {{cvt|10|oz/yd2}} or {{cvt|12|oz/yd2}}. They are prepared with two or three coats of gesso and are ready for use straight away. Artists desiring greater control of their painting surface may add a coat or two of their preferred gesso. Professional artists who wish to work on canvas may prepare their own canvas in the traditional manner.

One of the most outstanding differences between modern painting techniques and those of the [[Flanders|Flemish]] and [[Netherlands|Dutch]] Masters is in the preparation of the canvas. "Modern" techniques take advantage of both the canvas texture as well as those of the [[paint]] itself. [[Renaissance]] masters took extreme measures to ensure that none of the texture of the canvas came through. This required a painstaking, months-long process of layering the raw canvas with (usually) lead-white paint, then polishing the surface, and then repeating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/arts/painting/principl-tech/paint-instruct/class-oil-paint/classoilpaint.htm |title=Classical Oil Painting Technique |publisher=Cartage.org.lb |access-date=2012-05-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301212830/http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/arts/painting/principl-tech/paint-instruct/class-oil-paint/classoilpaint.htm |archive-date=2012-03-01 }}</ref> The final product had little resemblance to fabric, but instead had a glossy, enamel-like finish.

With a properly prepared canvas, the painter will find that each subsequent layer of color glides on in a "buttery" manner, and that with the proper consistency of application ([[fat over lean]] technique), a painting entirely devoid of [[brush]]strokes can be achieved. A warm [[Iron (appliance)|iron]] is applied over a piece of wet cotton to flatten the wrinkles.

Canvas can also be printed on using [[Offset printing|offset]] or specialist digital printers to create [[canvas prints]]. This process of digital inkjet printing is popularly referred to as [[Giclée]]. After printing, the canvas can be wrapped around a stretcher and displayed.

==For embroidery==
Canvas is a popular base fabric for embroidery such as [[cross-stitch]] and [[Berlin wool work]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Cluckie|first=Linda|title=The Rise and Fall of Art Needlework: Its Socio-Economic and Cultural Aspects|year=2008|publisher=Arena|isbn=978-0955605574|pages=60|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oETeePxtlhUC&pg=PA60}}</ref>  Some specific types of embroidery canvases are [[Aida cloth]] (also called Java canvas<ref>{{cite book|last=Saward|first=Blanche C.|title=Encyclopedia of Victorian needlework: Dictionary of needlework, Volume 1|year=1887|publisher=Dover Publications|isbn=9780486228006|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7wFHAAAAYAAJ&q=Aida+canvas|quote=Aida Canvas. — This material, introduced under the French name Toile Colbert, is a description of linen cloth. It is also called " Aida Cloth," and Java Canvas ( which see), as well as " Fancy Oatmeal."}}</ref>), Penelope canvas, Chess canvas, and Binca canvas.<ref>{{cite book|last=White|first=A. V.|title=Primary Embroidery Stitches and Designs|publisher=Taylor & Francis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eVA9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PR4}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Bendure|first=Zelma & Gladys|title=America's fabrics: origin and history, manufacture, characteristics and uses|year=1946|publisher=Macmillan Company|pages=616|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X-sgAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Chess+canvas%22}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Morris|first=Barbara|title=Victorian embroidery : an authoritative guide|year=2003|publisher=Dover Publications|location=Mineola, N.Y.|isbn=0486426092|pages=166|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H6mdL2M8Sk4C&pg=PA166}}</ref> [[Plastic canvas]] is a stiffer form of Binca canvas.<ref>{{cite book|last=Goodridge|first=Paula|title=Art activities : that are easy to prepare and that children will love.|year=2009|publisher=Brilliant Pub.|location=Bedfordshire, UK|isbn=978-1905780334|pages=65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kETutkHyebUC&pg=PA65}}</ref>

==As a compound agent==
[[File:Canvas bags.jpg|thumb|[[Canada Post]] canvas bags]]
[[File:Canvas-stretching.jpg|thumb|Stretching canvas on a canoe]]
From the 13th century onwards, canvas was used as a covering layer on [[pavise]] shields. The canvas was applied to the wooden surface of the pavise, covered with multiple layers of [[gesso]] and often richly painted in [[tempera]] technique. Finally, the surface was sealed with a transparent varnish. While the gessoed canvas was a perfect painting surface, the primary purpose of the canvas application may have been the strengthening of the wooden shield corpus in a manner similar to modern [[glass-reinforced plastic]].

==Splined canvas, stretched canvas and canvas boards==
''Splined canvases'' differ from traditional side-stapled canvas in that canvas is attached with a [[Flat spline|spline]] at the rear of the frame. This allows the artist to incorporate painted edges into the artwork itself without staples at the sides, and the artwork can be displayed without a frame. Splined canvas can be restretched by adjusting the spline.

''Stapled canvases'' stay stretched tighter over a longer period of time, but are more difficult to re-stretch when the need arises.

''Canvas boards'' are made of canvas stretched over and glued to a [[Paperboard|cardboard]] backing, and sealed on the backside. The canvas is typically linen primed for a certain type of paint. They are primarily used by artists for quick [[Study (drawing)|studies]].

==Types==
*Dyed canvas
*Fire-proof canvas
*Printed canvas
*Stripe canvas
*Water-resistant canvas
*Waterproof canvas
*Waxed canvas
*Rolled canvas

== Mechanical properties in canvas conservation ==
Understanding the mechanical properties of art canvases is necessary for art conservation, especially when deciding on transporting paintings, conservation treatments and environmental specifications inside museums.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Janas |first1=Arkadiusz |last2=Fuster-López |first2=Laura |last3=Andersen |first3=Cecil Krarup |last4=Escuder |first4=Angel Vicente |last5=Kozłowski |first5=Roman |last6=Poznańska |first6=Katarzyna |last7=Gajda |first7=Aleksandra |last8=Scharff |first8=Mikkel |last9=Bratasz |first9=Łukasz |date=2022-10-10 |title=Mechanical properties and moisture-related dimensional change of canvas paintings–canvas and glue sizing |journal=Heritage Science |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=160 |doi=10.1186/s40494-022-00794-3 |doi-access=free |issn=2050-7445|hdl=10251/193062 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Canvases are layered structures made from weaving fibers together, where each layer responds differently to changes in humidity, resulting in localized [[Stress (mechanics)|stresses]] that cause [[Deformation mechanism|deformation]], [[Fracture mechanics|cracking]], and [[delamination]].<ref name=":0" /> There are two directions to the canvas: the warp direction (threads run vertically) and the weft direction (threads run horizontally). Researchers performed [[tensile testing]] to determine the effects of humidity on the strength of canvases and observed that increasing humidity decreased the effective [[elastic modulus]] (combined modulus of the weft and warp directions). For example, the effective modulus at 30% relative humidity is 180 MPa, which drops to 13 MPa at 90% relative humidity, suggesting that canvas is becoming more flexible and susceptible to deformation.<ref name=":0" /> There is an inherent anisotropy to the elastic modulus measured in the weft and warp direction as evidenced in the strain vs. load behavior of the canvas. The canvas exhibits a 0.1 [[Strain (mechanics)|strain]] in the weft direction and 0.2 strain in the warp direction before failing (thread ripping apart).<ref name=":0" /> Though, tensile testing provides an explicit measure of material strength, conservators are unable to tare a piece of painting to create the samples (required length of 250 mm), therefore the traditional methods of assessing mechanical properties have been visual cues and pH values.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Maisey |first=Sarah |date=2023 |title=Conserving Canvas |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/331/oa_edited_volume/chapter/3767941 |website=Project MUSE}}</ref> 

Art conservators have recently adopted a new method called zero-span strength analysis, nanoindentation, and numerical modelling to quantitatively evaluate the mechanical properties of painting canvases.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=D. S.-H. |last2=Kim |first2=N.-S. |last3=Scharff |first3=M. |last4=Nielsen |first4=A. V. |last5=Mecklenburg |first5=M. |last6=Fuster-López |first6=L. |last7=Bratasz |first7=L. |last8=Andersen |first8=C. K. |date=2022-08-12 |title=Numerical modelling of mechanical degradation of canvas paintings under desiccation |journal=Heritage Science |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=130 |doi=10.1186/s40494-022-00763-w |doi-access=free |issn=2050-7445|hdl=10251/193061 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last1=Tiennot |first1=Mathilde |last2=Paardekam |first2=Erik |last3=Iannuzzi |first3=Davide |last4=Hermens |first4=Erma |date=2020-05-13 |title=Mapping the mechanical properties of paintings via nanoindentation: a new approach for cultural heritage studies |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=7924 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-64892-7 |pmid=32404938 |issn=2045-2322|pmc=7220919 |bibcode=2020NatSR..10.7924T }}</ref> Zero-span strength analysis measures the [[Ultimate tensile strength|tensile strength]] of materials, such as paper and yarns, by reducing the clamping distance to 0.1 mm and applying load to a particular point on the yarn.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Experiment B: Nondestructive Estimation of Strength in Historical Papers - Paper Through Time: Non-Destructive Analysis of 14th through 19th Century Papers - University of Iowa |url=https://paper.lib.uiowa.edu/experimentb.php |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=paper.lib.uiowa.edu |language=en}}</ref> This minimizes effects from material geometry and accurately assesses intrinsic fiber strength. This also reduces the amount of material needed for samples to 60 mm.<ref name=":1" /> Using zero-span strength analysis, conservators measured tensile strength of flax, commonly used canvas material in historical paintings and correlated tensile strength to the degree of cellulose depolymerization -- cellulose is a component of flax.<ref name=":1" /> Another method for assessing canvas quality is [[nanoindentation]] utilizing a millimeter-sized cantilever with a microsphere at its end and measuring local [[Viscoelasticity|viscoelastic properties]].<ref name=":2" /> However, with the nanoindentation method, conservators can probe the composite behavior of the layers of paint on top of the canvas, not the actual strength of the canvas itself. Lastly, conservators are using finite element modeling ([[Finite element method|FEM]]) and extended-FEM ([[XFEM]]) on canvases undergoing desiccation (removal of moisture) to visualize the global and local stresses.<ref name=":3" />

==Products==
*Wood-and-canvas [[canoe]]s (see photo of canvas being stretched on a canoe)
*[[Bag]]s, including coated canvas (e.g. [[Goyard]])
*[[Belt (firearms)|Non-disintegrating ammunition belts]], which have evenly spaced pockets to allow the belt to be mechanically fed into the [[machine gun]].
*Covers and [[tarpaulin]]s
*[[Shoes]] (e.g. [[Converse (shoe company)|Converse]], [[Vans]], [[Keds]])
*[[Tent]]s
*[[Swag (bedroll)|Swag]]s
*[[Martial arts]] uniforms (e.g. [[Tokaido (company)|Tokaido]], Shureido, [[Judogi]])
*[[Canvas print|Canvas Prints]]
*[[Wrestling]] canvas, used in WWE and other Sports Entertainment promotions.
*[[Waistcoat|Vest]]s, often fishing, hunting, tactical/military
*[[Coat]]s
*[[Jacket]]s
*[[Car_seat#Covers|Vehicle seat cover]]s

==See also==
* [[Canvas print]]
* [[Eisengarn]]
* [[Marine canvas]]
* [[Plastic canvas]]
*[[Salembaree]]

==References==

*Gordon, Dillian, National Gallery Catalogues (new series): ''The Fifteenth Century Italian Paintings'', Volume 1, 2003, {{ISBN|1857092937}}

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Canvas}}
{{Wiktionary}}
{{EB1911 poster|Canvas}}

{{fabric}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:13th-century inventions]]
[[Category:Woven fabrics]]
[[Category:Painting materials]]
[[Category:Maritime culture]]