[Virgil Elliott]

Mary,

Oil paint layers on stretched canvas are prone to cracking when they get old, as canvas is not rigid, and oil paints lose their flexibility after a number of years, usually 50 to 100, depending on several factors. Notice that panel paintings 500 years old in museums generally show little or no cracking of the paint layer, whereas paintings on canvas 100-200 years old show more pronounced cracking unless mounted on a rigid panel. Stretched canvas grows slack, and the paint stiffens in that position, then someone restretches it or keys out the stretchers, and the paint cracks. I'm not saying this always happens, but too frequently it does. By mounting the canvas on a panel, we get the pleasing texture of canvas to paint on, and avoid or greatly mitigate the possibility of cracking centuries later. I use Artist Panels by John Annesley Company, in Healdsburg, California. Everything John makes is top quality.