Python matplotlib legend in separate axis with gridspec

Question

Suppose I have a matplotlib gridspec instance in a python script. What I want to do is create two axes and have the plot in one axis and the legend in the other. Sort of

import numpy as np from matplotlib import gridspec, pyplot as plt x = np.linspace(0,100) y = np.sin(x) gs = gridspec.GridSpec( 100, 100 ) ax1 = fig.add_subplot(gs[ :50, : ]) ax2 = fig.add_subplot(gs[ 55:, : ]) ax1.plot( s, y, label=r'sine' ) ax2.legend() # ?? Here I want legend of ax1 plt.show() 

Is there any way to do this?

Answer 1

You can capture the descriptors and labels of the legend from the first subheading using ax1.get_legend_handles_labels() , and then use them when creating the legend to the second subheading.

From docs :

get_legend_handles_labels(legend_handler_map=None)

Returns descriptors and labels for a legend

ax.legend() equivalent to:

 h, l = ax.get_legend_handles_labels() ax.legend(h, l) 

 import numpy as np from matplotlib import gridspec, pyplot as plt x = np.linspace(0,100) y = np.sin(x) fig = plt.figure() gs = gridspec.GridSpec( 100,100 ) ax1 = fig.add_subplot(gs[ :50, : ]) ax2 = fig.add_subplot(gs[ 55:, : ]) ax1.plot( x, y, label=r'sine' ) h,l=ax1.get_legend_handles_labels() # get labels and handles from ax1 ax2.legend(h,l) # use them to make legend on ax2 plt.show()