A French easel is another way to call a canvas used for painting. A French easel is used for the purpose of painting using many different types of paints.
The nouns in the phrase "her violin and easel were missing" are "violin" and "easel." Both refer to objects; a violin is a musical instrument, and an easel is a stand used to hold a canvas for painting.
The stand for an artist's painting is called an easel. It may be referred to as a tripod, which is the usual form.
I think you mean an easel (?) Look up a picture of an easel and see if that is what you mean.
Easel
An easel is a tool used by painters to hold the canvas they're painting on. http://tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:LbSDqotr0q322M:http://www.madisonartshop.com/lib/madisonartshop/legacy-easel
The term for a display tripod is an easel. It is typically used to hold and display artwork, posters, or signs.
An easel is an upright support used for displaying and fixing something resting upon it. In the darkroom an easel is used to keep the photographic paper in flat or upright position to the enlarger.
The word "easel" comes from a Dutch word - "ezel" meaning "ass" (as in donkey). During the late 16th century it was changed to "easel." The word ezel is similar to the word "horse" when used to describe a supporting frame for things such as carpentry.
The correct spelling is "easel."
Easel is to painter as desktop is to writer.
The artist approached the easel.
That is the correct spelling of "easel" (an artist's stand).