Matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_axisbelow() in Python

Last Updated : 12 Jul, 2025

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.set_axisbelow() Function

The Axes.set_axisbelow() function in axes module of matplotlib library is used to set whether axis ticks and gridlines are above or below most artists.

Syntax: Axes.set_axisbelow(self, b) Parameters: This method accept only one parameters.
b: This parameter contains a boolean value and it's possible values are : True, False or "line".
Returns:This method does not returns anything.

Below examples illustrate the matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_axisbelow() function in matplotlib.axes: Example 1:

Python3

# Implementation of matplotlib function
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

# Random test data
np.random.seed(19680801)
all_data = [np.random.normal(0, std, size = 100) for std in range(1, 6)]
labels = ['x1', 'x2', 'x3', 'x4', 'x5']

fig, ax = plt.subplots()

bplot = ax.boxplot(all_data,
                     vert = True,  
                     patch_artist = True,  
                     labels = labels) 
colors = ['lightpink', 'lightblue', 'lightgreen',
          "lightgrey", "yellow"]
for patch, color in zip(bplot['boxes'], colors):
    patch.set_facecolor(color)

ax.yaxis.grid(True, color ="green", lw = 2)
ax.set_axisbelow(True)
ax.set_xlabel('Samples')
ax.set_ylabel('Observed values')
ax.set_title('matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_axisbelow() \
Example\n', fontsize = 12, fontweight ='bold')
plt.show()

Output:

Example 2:

Python3

# Implementation of matplotlib function
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

# Random test data
np.random.seed(19680801)
all_data = [np.random.normal(0, std, size = 100) for std in range(1, 6)]
labels = ['x1', 'x2', 'x3', 'x4', 'x5']

fig, ax = plt.subplots()

bplot = ax.boxplot(all_data,
                     vert = True,  
                     patch_artist = True,  
                     labels = labels) 
colors = ['lightpink', 'lightblue', 'lightgreen',
          "lightgrey", "yellow"]
for patch, color in zip(bplot['boxes'], colors):
    patch.set_facecolor(color)

ax.yaxis.grid(True, color ="green", lw = 2)
ax.set_axisbelow(False)
ax.set_xlabel('Samples')
ax.set_ylabel('Observed values')
ax.set_title('matplotlib.axes.Axes.set_axisbelow()\
 Example\n', fontsize = 12, fontweight ='bold')
plt.show()