What is canvas?

Canvas comes from the French word 'toile'. The root of Canvas is derived from the Greek word 'cannabis', which means hemp. However, the word 'cannabis' has also been transferred from Persian and Thrace culture to Greek.

Canvas has been used as fabric since ancient times, but the use of canvas for painting was not as common as the Renaissance. The use of canvas in the painting began to be seen in Venice in the 16th century. Until this century, mostly wooden panels were painted. Due to the very humid atmosphere of Venice, the paintings made on wooden panels could not stand for a long time and deteriorated. Canvas was seen as a solution to prevent these distortions.

The basis of the materials used in the production of canvas is linen, hemp and cotton. Although canvas and hemp canvases are almost indistinguishable from the naked eye, canvas hemp has been the most widely used by artists until the 18th century, since the processing of linen is more difficult and expensive than cannabis.

Cotton Canvas

At the beginning of the 19th century 'American East Coast' launched cotton canvas. This cotton canvas, which is slightly cheaper than linen, has become the most widely used canvas, resulting in reduced hemp production. The cotton canvas is comparable to the durability of the linen canvas. Since the surface of the cotton canvas is more regular than the surface of the linen canvas and the stretching process of the cotton canvas is more comfortable, it has become the most preferred canvas today.