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Linen. Linen? Linen!

With humble beginnings from the inner fibers of flax plants, linen is a textile with almost endless capabilities in the hands of artists.

Shield for the Field or Tournament (Targe), Wood, leather, linen, gesso, pigments, silver, German
German
ca. 1450
Necklace, Attai Chen  Israeli, Paper, paint, coal, glue, and linen
Attai Chen
2011
Fly the Wild, Stanley Whitney  American, Oil on linen canvas
Stanley Whitney
2017
The Holy Family with Saints Francis and Anne and the Infant Saint John the Baptist, Peter Paul Rubens  Flemish, Oil on canvas
Peter Paul Rubens
early or mid-1630s
Easy Chair, Caleb Gardner Jr.  American, Walnut, maple; wool on linen ground (front panel), wool and silk on linen ground (back panel), silk and cotton tape, silk and wool tape, American
Caleb Gardner Jr.
1758
Ikat Shadow Box, Kay Sekimachi  American, Natural and dyed linen
Kay Sekimachi
1988
Linen Lean-To, Sheila Hicks  American, Linen
Sheila Hicks
designed 1967–68; executed 1985
Hand Sewing Machine, Arthur Dove  American, Oil, cut and pasted linen, resin, and graphite on sheet metal, with artist-made frame
Arthur Dove
1927
Piece from a Larger Sheet (?), Linen
ca. 2649–2100 B.C.
Chief's blanket, Unidentified Navajo Artist, Dyed and undyed wool, Diné/Navajo, Native American
Unidentified
1865–70
Seven ponds and a few raindrops, Ranjani Shettar  Indian, Muslin, stainless steel, tamarind and natural dyes
Ranjani Shettar
2017
After High Tide, Tsuji Kakō 都路華香  Japanese, Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink, color, and gold and silver paint on silk, Japan
Tsuji Kakō 都路華香
1917
Wedding dress, Yohji Yamamoto  Japanese, a) cotton, nylon, silk; b) cotton, nylon, Japanese
Yohji Yamamoto
spring/summer 2000
Four-Cornered Hat, Camelid hair, cotton, Wari
Wari
7th–9th century
Hand-woven Tablecloth, Linen, woven, American
American
1771