Canvas ~ Antique & Vintage Items

Art is only as timeless as the canvas it's painted on. Before the Renaissance, all paintings were done on more solid mediums such as wood. With the break of the industrial revolution, many innovations and technologies were developed, among these the canvas sail. The primary use of canvas was for sails, tents, tarps and heavy work clothes, as it was a durable and strong material. Throughout the years, canvas became a common medium available to the public. Around 1500 AD in Italy, the canvas was first used by portrait artists because it could be easily rolled for shipping, it was affordable and it made painting in a large format much easier. Soon it took popularity over the more traditional wood planks. Master painters and artists had a strong preference for canvas, as a medium for their oil paintings. Canvas is still the first choice for many artists for reasons both practi