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Originally Posted by Sharon Knettell
. . . Pollack's paintings are falling apart (tant pis  ) because they were painted on cotton. . . |
Ha ha ha ha. That ain't the
only reason, Sharon, but you're right. Cotton canvas and large size both present major problems for the longevity of a support.
It is true that a number of people (gallerists and patrons) are attracted to linen only because it was the material of the "Old Masters".
The climate where you live and work (or at least, where your paintings will end up) has much to do with "permanence". In sunny, dry Spain, El Greco's (and Velasquez' Murillo's, Zurbaran's etc., etc.) canvases remained in fine condition partly because of ambient conditions.
In fact, constructing large painting supports (over 3 feet) presents enough difficulties in terms of "engineering" that it's for all practical purposes as different a problem from making up small supports (up to 30 inches) as building a house does compared to making a packing crate.