Why is linen the preferred material for canvas?

After the 16th century, canvas became the main material for oil painting. Among numerous hemp and cotton fabrics, pure linen was the most ideal canvas. (1) Next to synthetic fibers, linen is the strongest of all textiles. Its fiber strength is high, not easy to tear or puncture, can be scraped and pressed on the palette knife. (2) Dense linen woven by warp and weft lines, with good coloring performance. (3) Linen is woven by twisting flax. Its surface is not as smooth as chemical fiber and cotton cloth, but has vivid concave and convex texture. Painters often use linen as a subtle and interesting material aesthetic feeling. (4) Linen and flaxseed oil come from the same plant, have the same chemical characteristics, can support each other. (5) Linen has single thread (SW) and double thread (DW), easy to be processed into different thickness, different thickness, different texture of a variety of specifications. Coarse linen is ideal for painting with a large brush and a scraper, making it an ideal canvas for bold, lively strokes. Medium density linen is smooth and uniform in texture, which is the most suitable for rubbing cover dyeing in realistic style. Fine linen is used for small works, suitable for fine painting style. (6) In terms of preservation and restoration, oil painting on canvas is superior to oil painting on other supports, of which linen is the first. Flax grows in cold, damp climates. Belgium and Ireland are the chief producers of flax. Ripe flax is harvested intact from root to leaf and allowed to rot, leaving behind firm fibers that are then woven into cloth. Depending on the texture and thickness, linens are sold from about one meter to more than three meters wide, with specialty linens up to more than four meters wide. Pure flax is more expensive, so there are semi flax and cotton and linen blends and other cheap varieties. Because cotton and hemp grow and shrink with humidity, blended fabrics are not suitable for large canvases.