Why is linen the material of choice for canvas?

After the 16th century, canvas has become the main material for Oil Painting. Among the many linen and cotton fabrics, pure linen is the most ideal canvas.

(1) Except for synthetic fibers, linen is the strongest kind of textile. The fibers are strong enough not to tear or puncture easily, and can be scraped and pressed with a palette knife.
(2) The dense linen cloth woven by cross-woven warp and weft threads has good coloring performance.
(3) Linen is woven by twisting linen. The surface is not as smooth as chemical fiber and cotton, but has a vivid concave-convex texture. Painters often use the subtle and interesting material beauty of linen.
(4) Linen and linseed oil come from the same plant, have the same chemical properties, and can support each other.
(5) Linen cloth is divided into single-thread weaving (SW) and double-thread weaving (DW), and it is easy to process into various specifications of different thicknesses, different thicknesses, and different textures. Coarse-grained linen is suitable for painting with large brushes and spatulas, making it the ideal canvas for bold, bold strokes. The medium-density linen is flat and uniform in texture, which is most suitable for the expression method of rubbing and dyeing in the realistic style. Fine-textured linen is mostly used for small-scale works and is suitable for fine-grained painting styles.
(6) In terms of preservation and restoration, Oil Painting on canvas are superior to Oil Painting on other supports, among which linen is the first. Flax generally grows in cold and humid climates, and Belgium and Ireland are the main producing areas of flax. The mature flax is harvested whole from root to leaf and allowed to rot, leaving firm fibers that are then spun into cloth. Due to the difference in texture and thickness, the linen cloth sold ranges from about one meter to more than three meters in width, and the width of special products is more than four meters.
Pure linen is more expensive, so there are cheaper varieties like semi-linen and cotton-linen blends. Because cotton and linen expand and contract with humidity, blends are not suitable for large canvases.