"Canvas is a familiar enough word but Nisse reveals a vast, complicated and fascinating world of materials, twills and textures. At first, Venetian artists were drawn to a so-called 'tabby weave', whose smoother surface was closer to panel. Gradually they came to master rougher weaves, in particular a herringbone pattern that fostered gaps in the painting's surface."
"Many of these canvases, which could be made of either linen or hemp, might have had other purposes. For example, Tintoretto's The Miracle of the Slave (1548) was painted on sail cloth. The complex weave pattern of Titian's The Vendramin Family (around 1540-45) was fine enough for a tablecloth, and Nisse argues that the weave itself helped him create the 'diffuse and soft' quality of light."
"Canvas, so strongly associated with the Venice Cinquecento, was actually a very familiar support in the late Middle Ages. Painting on canvas had served as an alternative to tapestry or embroidery, and what is regarded as a breakthrough canvas work, Gentile Bellini's Il Beato Lorenzo Giustiniani (1465), may once have been a processional banner."
In the 16th century, Venetian painters transitioned from traditional wall and panel paintings to canvas, which was more suitable for the damp climate and easier to transport. Artists like Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto utilized various weaves and materials, such as linen and hemp, to create distinct textures and effects in their works. Canvas had historical roots in the late Middle Ages, serving as an alternative to tapestry. Notable early works on canvas include Gentile Bellini's Il Beato Lorenzo Giustiniani and Vittore Carpaccio's The Martyrdom of the Pilgrims.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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