diff --git a/src/cairo.jl b/src/cairo.jl
index 586ca05d..3ce9e57b 100644
--- a/src/cairo.jl
+++ b/src/cairo.jl
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import Cairo: CairoSurface, CairoContext, CairoARGBSurface
+import Cairo: CairoSurface, CairoContext, CairoARGBSurface, set_source_surface, paint
+import ..GLib: _GObjectClass
 
 using Cairo_jll
 using ..Pango.Cairo
@@ -89,6 +90,118 @@ function resize(config::Function, widget::GtkCanvas)
     nothing
 end
 
+### CairoCanvas is experimental and unstable
+
+mutable struct CairoCanvas <: GtkWidget
+    handle::Ptr{GObject}
+    content_size::Tuple{Int,Int}
+    is_sized::Bool
+    resize::Union{Function, Nothing}
+    draw::Union{Function, Nothing}
+    back::CairoSurface   # backing store
+    backcc::CairoContext
+
+    function CairoCanvas(handle::Ptr{GObject}, w::Integer = -1, h::Integer = -1, init_back::Bool = false)
+        content_size = (0,0)
+        if w > 0 && h > 0
+            content_size = (w,h)
+        elseif init_back
+            error("Width and height arguments must be provided to immediately initialize CairoCanvas.")
+        end
+        widget = new(handle, content_size, false, nothing, nothing)
+        if init_back
+            _init_canvas!(widget, w, h)
+        end
+
+        return widget
+    end
+end
+
+"""
+    getgc(c::GtkCanvas)
+
+Return the CairoContext of the `CairoSurface` backing store of a `GtkCanvas`.
+"""
+function getgc(c::Union{GtkCanvas,CairoCanvas})
+    isdefined(c,:backcc) || error("GtkCanvas not yet initialized.")
+    return c.backcc
+end
+
+CairoContext(cr::cairoContext) = CairoContext(Ptr{Nothing}(cr.handle))
+Cairo.cairoContext(cr::CairoContext) = cairoContext(Ptr{cairoContext}(cr.ptr),false)
+
+function widget_measure(widget_ptr::Ptr{GObject}, orientation::Cint, for_size::Cint, minimum::Ptr{Cint}, natural::Ptr{Cint}, minimum_baseline::Ptr{Cint}, natural_baseline::Ptr{Cint})
+    canvas = convert(CairoCanvas, widget_ptr)
+    s = if orientation == Orientation_HORIZONTAL
+        canvas.content_size[1]
+    else
+        canvas.content_size[2]
+    end
+    unsafe_store!(minimum, s)
+    unsafe_store!(natural, s)
+    unsafe_store!(natural_baseline, Cint(-1))
+    nothing
+end
+
+function widget_size_allocate(widget_ptr::Ptr{GObject}, width::Cint, height::Cint, baseline::Cint)
+    canvas = convert(CairoCanvas, widget_ptr)
+    _init_canvas!(canvas, width, height)
+    canvas.is_sized = true
+
+    if isa(canvas.resize, Function)
+        canvas.resize(canvas)
+    end
+    draw(canvas)
+    nothing
+end
+
+function widget_snapshot(widget_ptr::Ptr{GObject}, snapshot_ptr::Ptr{GObject})
+    canvas = convert(CairoCanvas, widget_ptr)
+    snapshot = convert(GtkSnapshot, snapshot_ptr)
+    w,h = size(canvas)
+    cr = Gtk4.G_.append_cairo(snapshot, Ref(_GrapheneRect(0,0,w,h)))
+    cc = CairoContext(Ptr{Nothing}(cr.handle))
+    set_source_surface(cc, canvas.back)
+    paint(cc)
+    nothing
+end
+
+function object_class_init(class::Ptr{_GObjectClass}, user_data)
+    widget_klass_ptr = Ptr{_GtkWidgetClass}(class)
+    widget_klass = unsafe_load(widget_klass_ptr)
+    widget_klass.snapshot = @cfunction(widget_snapshot, Cvoid, (Ptr{GObject}, Ptr{GObject}))
+    widget_klass.measure = @cfunction(widget_measure, Cvoid, (Ptr{GObject}, Cint, Cint, Ptr{Cint}, Ptr{Cint}, Ptr{Cint}, Ptr{Cint}))
+    widget_klass.size_allocate = @cfunction(widget_size_allocate, Cvoid, (Ptr{GObject}, Cint, Cint, Cint))
+    unsafe_store!(widget_klass_ptr, widget_klass)
+    nothing
+end
+
+function GLib.g_type(::Type{T}) where T <: CairoCanvas
+    gt = GLib.g_type_from_name(:CairoCanvas)
+    if gt > 0
+        return gt
+    else
+        object_class_init_cfunc = @cfunction(object_class_init, Cvoid, (Ptr{_GObjectClass}, Ptr{Cvoid}))
+        return GLib.register_subtype(GtkWidget, :CairoCanvas, object_class_init_cfunc)
+    end
+end
+
+function CairoCanvas(w::Integer = -1, h::Integer = -1, init_back::Bool = false; kwargs...)
+    widget = GLib.gobject_new(CairoCanvas, w, h, init_back)
+    GLib.setproperties!(widget; kwargs...)
+    widget
+end
+
+"""
+    cairo_surface(c::GtkCanvas)
+
+Return the image `CairoSurface` backing store for a `GtkCanvas`.
+"""
+function cairo_surface(c::Union{GtkCanvas,CairoCanvas})
+    isdefined(c,:back) || error("Canvas not yet initialized.")
+    return c.back
+end
+
 """
     draw(redraw::Function, widget::GtkCanvas)
 
@@ -97,7 +210,7 @@ needs to be redrawn. The function should have a single argument, the
 `GtkCanvas`, from which the `CairoSurface` can be retrieved using
 [`getgc`](@ref).
 """
-function draw(redraw::Function, widget::GtkCanvas)
+function draw(redraw::Function, widget::Union{GtkCanvas,CairoCanvas})
     widget.draw = redraw
     draw(widget)
     nothing
@@ -108,7 +221,7 @@ end
 
 Triggers a redraw of the canvas using a previously set `redraw` function.
 """
-function draw(widget::GtkCanvas)
+function draw(widget::Union{GtkCanvas,CairoCanvas})
     if !isdefined(widget, :back)
         #@warn("backing store not defined")
         return
@@ -119,25 +232,3 @@ function draw(widget::GtkCanvas)
     G_.queue_draw(widget)
 end
 
-"""
-    getgc(c::GtkCanvas)
-
-Return the CairoContext of the `CairoSurface` backing store of a `GtkCanvas`.
-"""
-function getgc(c::GtkCanvas)
-    isdefined(c,:backcc) || error("GtkCanvas not yet initialized.")
-    return c.backcc
-end
-
-"""
-    cairo_surface(c::GtkCanvas)
-
-Return the image `CairoSurface` backing store for a `GtkCanvas`.
-"""
-function cairo_surface(c::GtkCanvas)
-    isdefined(c,:back) || error("GtkCanvas not yet initialized.")
-    return c.back
-end
-
-CairoContext(cr::cairoContext) = CairoContext(Ptr{Nothing}(cr.handle))
-Cairo.cairoContext(cr::CairoContext) = cairoContext(Ptr{cairoContext}(cr.ptr),false)
diff --git a/test/gui/canvas.jl b/test/gui/canvas.jl
index 0633f5e9..e6786595 100644
--- a/test/gui/canvas.jl
+++ b/test/gui/canvas.jl
@@ -93,3 +93,29 @@ c = GtkCanvas(10,10,true)
 @test isdefined(c,:back)
 end
 
+@testset "CairoCanvas initialization" begin
+# must provide a nonzero size to use `init_back`
+@test_throws ErrorException c = Gtk4.CairoCanvas(0,0,true)
+c = Gtk4.CairoCanvas(10,10,true)
+@test isdefined(c,:back)
+end
+
+@testset "SetCoordinates CairoCanvas" begin
+    cnvs = Gtk4.CairoCanvas(300, 280)
+    sleep(0.2)
+    draw(cnvs) do c
+        set_coordinates(getgc(c), BoundingBox(0, 1, 0, 1))
+    end
+    win = GtkWindow(cnvs)
+    sleep(1.0)
+    s = size(cnvs)
+    @test s[1] == 300
+    @test s[2] == 280
+    mtrx = Cairo.get_matrix(getgc(cnvs))
+    @test mtrx.xx == 300
+    @test mtrx.yy == 280
+    @test mtrx.xy == mtrx.yx == mtrx.x0 == mtrx.y0 == 0
+    surf = Gtk4.cairo_surface(cnvs)
+    destroy(win)
+end
+