4x4 Monet Pro Malibu Canvas 1-1/2" Deep #MY-0404

True 1:1 Square Proportion - 4x4 Size

4x4 is a popular small size square size.

The square is perhaps the most intriguing proportion, as it is root of all of the other proportions. It is commonly used in both photography and art. Squares are typically used as the center canvas of a triptych or as a single canvas hung at a 45° angle. The square proportion is long used with medium format professional cameras, and most photographs we see on websites and social media are based on square images. Since all sides of the canvas are the same length, your eye is drawn evenly across the surface of the painting creating a sense of harmony, balance, and a generally a pleasing visual experience. The square format is also a good choice for artists who focus on geometric shapes or patterns in their work, as the regularity of the square shape can help reinforce these elements. Some artists enjoy the challenge of working within the confines of a square format, as it forces them to think creatively resulting in intriguing compositions.

Explore other sizes in this same 1:1 aspect ratio:

5x5 • 6x6 • 7x7 • 8x8 • 9x9 • 10x10 • 12x12 • 14x14 • 16x16 • 18x18 • 20x20 • 22x22 • 24x24 • 30x30 • 32x32 • 34x34 • 36x36 • 40x40 • 48x48 • 54x54 • 60X60 • 72x72

Explore Related Products to this 4x4 Size:

• Alkyd / Oil Primed Linen: Vintage L21C™ • Ventura™ • Versailles™
• Acrylic Primed Linen: Muir™ • Vintage L22U™ • Santa Cruz™ • Saint-Cloud™
• Acrylic Primed Cotton: Monterey™ • Carmel™ • Tahoe™ • Heavy Weight 14oz cotton • Sierra™
• Hardcore Canvas Panel: Malibu™
• Vincent™ Pro 7/8

Vegan Ground:

There are no animal products that make-up the sizing and the primer for this fine canvas. Historically, traditional canvas grounds have included egg tempura, pigments with cow urine, and of course, rabbit skin glue. In today's rapidly advancing world, there are many more choices available for artists who prefer non-animal based products that perform far better than their animal-based predecessors.

Malibu™ Alkyd Oil Primed Belgian Linen

Characteristic linen type surface texture for artists who delight in some surface tooth. It has a light gray tone.

• 100% Belgian Linen 5 oz.; Primed Weight 12 oz. per square yard
• Medium Weight, Open Weave, Textured Surface
• Double Sized and Double Primed with acid-free archival quality alkyd ground
• Impenetrable ground prevents oil paint from leaching through and harming the canvas
• For oils, alkyds, and water miscible oil paints
• Linen has natural oils that prevent disintegration over time.

Oil paint on an oil primed canvas improves your results

Using an oil prepared canvas for oil painting can produce superior results because the paint and ground are organically similar and create an ideal "chemical bond" where the paint sinks into the ground resulting in a smoother and more even finish. The resulting bond between the paint and canvas is stronger, making the artwork more durable and long-lasting. Additionally, the melding of the two oil-based materials creates an effect called luminosity, where the colors appear to glow from within, and thereby enhances the vibrancy and brightness of the colors, impacting the way light reflects off the colors.

Flash an Oil Prepared Canvas with Mineral Spirits

While it is not required, for best results, lightly wipe or flash the oil prepared canvas with mineral spirits before painting to make sure that your surface is completely clean of any dust or contaminants before painting.

Monet™ Pro 1.5" Deep Bar • 1/2" Canvas Clearance

1/2" Canvas Clearance is the space between the Bar and the canvas. Generally speaking, more clearance reduces the risk of the canvas touching the wood and creating unsightly lines during painting. Our design provides the optimal clearance so as not to impact your painting, but still leaving enough wood to the maximize strength of the Stretcher Bar.

• Produces a 1.5" deep stretched canvas (Actual depth is slightly thinner)
• 1-5/8" wide Stretcher Bar
• Solid Ponderosa Pine or Fir from the Pacific Northwest

Finger Jointed Wood is not meant for Stretcher Bars

Solid wood makes the most dependable Stretcher Bar, because one homogeneous wood member is going to behave similarly across the entire length of the Bar. Whereas, with finger-jointed wood is made-up of multiple pieces of wood, sometimes on the actual joint itself, presenting multiple points of failure which no one can control.

We only use Solid Wood to build our Stretcher Bars because a solid piece of wood will last indefinitely. When we speak of archival value, it's not just the paint you use and the quality of your canvas and ground, even the wood choices manufacturers add or reduce value to your final painting. The fact is, you don't want problems, and finger joints only increase that risk of the wood falling apart in the future.

The glue used to bind finger joints is a water based adhesive and when that wood is exposed to high humidity environments, particularly with exterior walls, the glue joints can give-up. As a manufacturer, Masterpiece® does its part to conserve as much wood as possible, and still provide a quality product that will out-perform any other in the marketplace.

4x4 Monet Pro Strainer Frame

• Drawing depicts the exact frame construction, not the proportion
• Strainer Bars are used when the short side is under 10" inches
• Fixed Corner Frame - Not keyable or expandable
• No cross braces required when the frame length is under 20", but this frame provides very robust and solid support for this 4x4 size frame

Sustainably Managed Forests Purify the Air

Our forests purify the air by filtering nearly 40% of the fossil fuel emissions humans create, and are critical to reducing global warming. More trees are needed on this planet, not fewer, for our own healthy human survival. Therefore, we use lumber grown in responsibly managed forests, so future generations can benefit from our responsible actions today.

MuseumWrap™ Stretching Technique

With more than a half a century of American engineering, Masterpiece® designs and builds its own proprietary stretching equipment that enables us to produce the finest and most tightly-stretched canvas on the market.

• Drum-tight stretch!
• Up to 50% tighter than other methods
• Balanced tension across the surface
• Uncut folded corners make it possible to remove and re-stretch canvas on the same size frame
• Usually the corner folds are on the long sides

Every artist's journey to greatness starts with a blank canvas. Since 1965, Masterpiece® has been the trusted companion in that journey, offering the finest canvases in North America. Your creativity, combined with our canvas, has the potential to turn into a priceless treasure. The choices you make today pave the way for tomorrow's legacy.

Where others see an end, the artist sees a beginning. ♦ Robert Delaunay

Delaunay's life was characterized by his unyielding pursuit of novel perspectives. This sentiment echoes a truth that many artists recognize: the inherent potential in every ending, every closure. Just as a sunset paves the way for a new dawn, every conclusion in art is merely a prelude to another creation, another exploration.

This mindset is the cornerstone of artistic innovation. As artists, we often challenge the status quo, reinventing and reinterpreting what is presented before us. Delaunay reminds us to never be confined by boundaries but instead to celebrate the infinite possibilities that lie beyond. Through our work, we give life to this belief, showcasing that the end of one chapter is simply the start of another, more vibrant tale.

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We've curated this inspirational quote and our take on the message, plus a unique portrait we created of Robert Delaunay, celebrating the timeless ever-evolving act of creation. Go create your own masterpiece!

Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner

While all of our Masterpiece® Pro canvases are stretched very tightly and our frames have a built-in method to increase tension, we have another method to add canvas tension. Tight'n'Up™ Liquid Canvas Retensioner (sold separately) can be sprayed on the back of a canvas to repair most canvas tension issues.

With Tight'n'Up™, you can add tension to just a small area, or a large area. Simply spray it lightly on the back and brush it into the canvas, and within seconds, your canvas becomes tighter and stays tighter. The more you use, the tighter it gets.