Canvas. Canvas is a woven fabric traditionally made from hemp or flax.
It revolutionized painting by offering a lightweight, flexible, and inexpensive alternative to wooden panels. A well-known canvas painting from the 16th century is the
Rape of Europa by Titian (1561, Gardner Museum, Boston).
In the 17th century, Peter Rubens painted the
Cimon and Pero (c1630, Rijksmuseum) and Jan Vermeer created
Girl with Pearl Earring (c1666, Mauritshaus). Notable oil paintings from the 18th century include Antoine Watteau's
Mezzetin (c1719, Metropolitan Museum),
Time Unveiling Truth by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (c1748, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) and
Cliffs of Colorado River by Thomas Moran (1882, Smithsonian American Art Museum).
Paintings on canvas in the 19th century included Theodore Gericault's
Raft of Medusa (1819, Louvre) and Gustave Courbet's
Artist's Studio (1855, Musee d'Orsay). The 20th century saw the creation of Picasso's
Women of Avignon (1907) and Andrew Wyeth's
Christina's World (1948), both of which can be seen at the Museum of Modern Art in New Y