Matplotlib.axes.Axes.get_legend() in Python

Last Updated : 19 Apr, 2020

Matplotlib is a library in Python and it is numerical – mathematical extension for NumPy library. The Axes Class contains most of the figure elements: Axis, Tick, Line2D, Text, Polygon, etc., and sets the coordinate system. And the instances of Axes supports callbacks through a callbacks attribute.

matplotlib.axes.Axes.get_legend() Function

The Axes.get_legend() function in axes module of matplotlib library is used to return the Legend instance, or None if no legend is defined.

Syntax: Axes.get_legend(self)

Parameters: This method does not accepts any parameters.

Return: This function return the Legend instance, or None if no legend is defined.

Below examples illustrate the matplotlib.axes.Axes.get_legend() function in matplotlib.axes:

Example 1:

# Implementation of matplotlib function   
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt 
import numpy as np 
     
fig, ax = plt.subplots() 
ax.plot([1, 6, 3, 8, 34, 13, 56, 67], color ="green") 
  
x = ax.get_legend() 
text ="Legend is present"
if x == None: 
    text ="No legend present"
      
ax.text(2.5, 60, text, fontweight ="bold") 
fig.suptitle('matplotlib.axes.Axes.get_legend() function\ 
 Example\n', fontweight ="bold") 
fig.canvas.draw() 
plt.show() 

Output:

Example 2:

# Implementation of matplotlib function 
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt 
   
fig, (ax, ax1) = plt.subplots(1, 2) 
# axes1 
line1, = ax.plot([1, 2, 3], label ="Line 1", 
                 color ="black", linewidth = 4,  
                 linestyle =':') 
  
line2, = ax.plot([3, 2, 1], label ="Line 2",  
                 color ="green", 
                 linewidth = 4) 
   
first_legend = ax.legend(handles =[line1],  
                         loc ='upper center') 
   
ax.add_artist(first_legend) 
   
ax.legend(handles =[line2], loc ='lower center') 
ax.set_title("Without get_legend function") 
# axes1 
line1, = ax1.plot([1, 2, 3], label ="Line 1", 
                  color ="black", linewidth = 4,  
                  linestyle =':') 
line2, = ax1.plot([3, 2, 1], label ="Line 2", 
                  color ="green", 
                  linewidth = 4) 
   
first_legend = ax1.legend(handles =[line1], 
                          loc ='upper center') 
   
ax1.add_artist(first_legend) 
   
ax1.legend(handles =[line2],  
           loc ='lower center') 
ax1.get_legend().set_visible(False) 
ax1.set_title("Using get_legend function") 
fig.suptitle('matplotlib.axes.Axes.get_legend()\ 
function Example\n', fontweight ="bold") 
   
plt.show() 