matplotlib · rcomer · May 31, 2026 · May 30, 2026
diff --git a/ci/mypy-stubtest-allowlist.txt b/ci/mypy-stubtest-allowlist.txt
@@ -56,3 +56,6 @@ matplotlib\.animation\.EventSourceProtocol
 # Avoid a regression in NewType handling for stubtest
 # https://github.com/python/mypy/issues/19877
 matplotlib\.ft2font\.GlyphIndexType\.__init__
+
+# 3.12 deprecation
+matplotlib\.axes\._base\._AxesBase\.ArtistList
diff --git a/doc/api/artist_api.rst b/doc/api/artist_api.rst
@@ -200,4 +200,14 @@ Functions
    getp
    setp
    kwdoc
+
+Helper classes
+==============
+
+.. autosummary::
+   :template: autosummary.rst
+   :toctree: _as_gen
+   :nosignatures:
+
    ArtistInspector
+   ArtistList
diff --git a/doc/api/axes__base_api.rst b/doc/api/axes__base_api.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+*************************
+``matplotlib.axes._base``
+*************************
+
+.. This is a stub which is only included to make inheritance links work.  It
+   deliberately does not include any docstrings, so the class-doc-from directive
+   specifies a non-existent docstring.
+
+.. autoclass:: matplotlib.axes._base._AxesBase
+   :no-members:
+   :class-doc-from: class
+   :show-inheritance:
diff --git a/doc/api/axes_api.rst b/doc/api/axes_api.rst
@@ -632,5 +632,3 @@ Other
    Axes.get_figure
    Axes.figure
    Axes.remove
-
-.. autoclass:: matplotlib.axes.Axes.ArtistList
diff --git a/doc/api/image_api.rst b/doc/api/image_api.rst
@@ -6,3 +6,7 @@
    :members:
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:
+
+.. autoclass:: _ImageBase
+   :class-doc-from: class
+   :show-inheritance:
diff --git a/doc/api/index.rst b/doc/api/index.rst
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ Alphabetical list of modules:
    _type1font.rst
    _tight_bbox_api.rst
    _tight_layout_api.rst
+   axes__base_api.rst
    toolkits/mplot3d.rst
    toolkits/axes_grid1.rst
    toolkits/axisartist.rst

diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/31794-REC.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/31794-REC.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+The ``Axes.AxesList`` attribute
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+... is deprecated.  Use `.artist.ArtistList` instead.
diff --git a/doc/api/text_api.rst b/doc/api/text_api.rst
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
    :undoc-members:
    :show-inheritance:
 
+.. autoclass:: matplotlib.text._AnnotationBase
+   :class-doc-from: class
+
 .. autoclass:: matplotlib.text.Annotation
    :members:
    :undoc-members:

diff --git a/galleries/tutorials/artists.py b/galleries/tutorials/artists.py
@@ -562,13 +562,13 @@ class in the Matplotlib API, and the one you will be working with most
 # ==============    =========================================
 # Axes attribute    Description
 # ==============    =========================================
-# artists           An `.ArtistList` of `.Artist` instances
+# artists           An `~.artist.ArtistList` of `.Artist` instances
 # patch             `.Rectangle` instance for Axes background
-# collections       An `.ArtistList` of `.Collection` instances
-# images            An `.ArtistList` of `.AxesImage`
-# lines             An `.ArtistList` of `.Line2D` instances
-# patches           An `.ArtistList` of `.Patch` instances
-# texts             An `.ArtistList` of `.Text` instances
+# collections       An `~.artist.ArtistList` of `.Collection` instances
+# images            An `~.artist.ArtistList` of `.AxesImage`
+# lines             An `~.artist.ArtistList` of `.Line2D` instances
+# patches           An `~.artist.ArtistList` of `.Patch` instances
+# texts             An `~.artist.ArtistList` of `.Text` instances
 # xaxis             A `matplotlib.axis.XAxis` instance
 # yaxis             A `matplotlib.axis.YAxis` instance
 # ==============    =========================================

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 from collections import namedtuple
+from collections.abc import Sequence
 import contextlib
 from functools import cache, reduce, wraps
 import inspect
@@ -1789,6 +1790,75 @@ def pprint_getters(self):
         return lines
 
 
+class ArtistList(Sequence):
+    """
+    A sublist of Axes children based on their type.
+
+    The type-specific children sublists were made immutable in Matplotlib
+    3.7.  In the future these artist lists may be replaced by tuples. Use
+    as if this is a tuple already.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, axes, prop_name, valid_types=None, invalid_types=None):
+        """
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        axes : `~matplotlib.axes.Axes`
+            The Axes from which this sublist will pull the children
+            Artists.
+        prop_name : str
+            The property name used to access this sublist from the Axes;
+            used to generate deprecation warnings.
+        valid_types : list of type, optional
+            A list of types that determine which children will be returned
+            by this sublist. If specified, then the Artists in the sublist
+            must be instances of any of these types. If unspecified, then
+            any type of Artist is valid (unless limited by
+            *invalid_types*.)
+        invalid_types : tuple, optional
+            A list of types that determine which children will *not* be
+            returned by this sublist. If specified, then Artists in the
+            sublist will never be an instance of these types. Otherwise, no
+            types will be excluded.
+        """
+        self._axes = axes
+        self._prop_name = prop_name
+        self._type_check = lambda artist: (
+            (not valid_types or isinstance(artist, valid_types)) and
+            (not invalid_types or not isinstance(artist, invalid_types))
+        )
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return f'<Axes.ArtistList of {len(self)} {self._prop_name}>'
+
+    def __len__(self):
+        return sum(self._type_check(artist)
+                    for artist in self._axes._children)
+
+    def __iter__(self):
+        for artist in list(self._axes._children):
+            if self._type_check(artist):
+                yield artist
+
+    def __getitem__(self, key):
+        return [artist
+                for artist in self._axes._children
+                if self._type_check(artist)][key]
+
+    def __add__(self, other):
+        if isinstance(other, (list, ArtistList)):
+            return [*self, *other]
+        if isinstance(other, (tuple, ArtistList)):
+            return (*self, *other)
+        return NotImplemented
+
+    def __radd__(self, other):
+        if isinstance(other, list):
+            return other + list(self)
+        if isinstance(other, tuple):
+            return other + tuple(self)
+        return NotImplemented
+
+
 def getp(obj, property=None):
     """
     Return the value of an `.Artist`'s *property*, or print all of them.

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/artist.pyi
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from .transforms import (
 
 import numpy as np
 
-from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable
+from collections.abc import Callable, Iterable, Iterator, Sequence
 from typing import Any, Literal, NamedTuple, TextIO, overload, TypeVar
 from numpy.typing import ArrayLike
 
@@ -189,6 +189,36 @@ class ArtistInspector:
     def properties(self) -> dict[str, Any]: ...
     def pprint_getters(self) -> list[str]: ...
 
+
+class ArtistList(Sequence[_T_Artist]):
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        axes: _AxesBase,
+        prop_name: str,
+        valid_types: type | Iterable[type] | None = ...,
+        invalid_types: type | Iterable[type] | None = ...,
+    ) -> None: ...
+    def __len__(self) -> int: ...
+    def __iter__(self) -> Iterator[_T_Artist]: ...
+    @overload
+    def __getitem__(self, key: int) -> _T_Artist: ...
+    @overload
+    def __getitem__(self, key: slice) -> list[_T_Artist]: ...
+
+    @overload
+    def __add__(self, other: ArtistList[_T_Artist]) -> list[_T_Artist]: ...
+    @overload
+    def __add__(self, other: list[Any]) -> list[Any]: ...
+    @overload
+    def __add__(self, other: tuple[Any]) -> tuple[Any]: ...
+
+    @overload
+    def __radd__(self, other: ArtistList[_T_Artist]) -> list[_T_Artist]: ...
+    @overload
+    def __radd__(self, other: list[Any]) -> list[Any]: ...
+    @overload
+    def __radd__(self, other: tuple[Any]) -> tuple[Any]: ...
+
 def getp(obj: Artist, property: str | None = ...) -> Any: ...
 
 get = getp

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from collections.abc import Iterable, Sequence
+from collections.abc import Iterable
 from contextlib import ExitStack
 import functools
 import inspect
@@ -1481,105 +1481,40 @@ def cla(self):
         else:
             self.clear()
 
-    class ArtistList(Sequence):
-        """
-        A sublist of Axes children based on their type.
-
-        The type-specific children sublists were made immutable in Matplotlib
-        3.7.  In the future these artist lists may be replaced by tuples. Use
-        as if this is a tuple already.
-        """
-        def __init__(self, axes, prop_name,
-                     valid_types=None, invalid_types=None):
-            """
-            Parameters
-            ----------
-            axes : `~matplotlib.axes.Axes`
-                The Axes from which this sublist will pull the children
-                Artists.
-            prop_name : str
-                The property name used to access this sublist from the Axes;
-                used to generate deprecation warnings.
-            valid_types : list of type, optional
-                A list of types that determine which children will be returned
-                by this sublist. If specified, then the Artists in the sublist
-                must be instances of any of these types. If unspecified, then
-                any type of Artist is valid (unless limited by
-                *invalid_types*.)
-            invalid_types : tuple, optional
-                A list of types that determine which children will *not* be
-                returned by this sublist. If specified, then Artists in the
-                sublist will never be an instance of these types. Otherwise, no
-                types will be excluded.
-            """
-            self._axes = axes
-            self._prop_name = prop_name
-            self._type_check = lambda artist: (
-                (not valid_types or isinstance(artist, valid_types)) and
-                (not invalid_types or not isinstance(artist, invalid_types))
-            )
-
-        def __repr__(self):
-            return f'<Axes.ArtistList of {len(self)} {self._prop_name}>'
-
-        def __len__(self):
-            return sum(self._type_check(artist)
-                       for artist in self._axes._children)
-
-        def __iter__(self):
-            for artist in list(self._axes._children):
-                if self._type_check(artist):
-                    yield artist
-
-        def __getitem__(self, key):
-            return [artist
-                    for artist in self._axes._children
-                    if self._type_check(artist)][key]
-
-        def __add__(self, other):
-            if isinstance(other, (list, _AxesBase.ArtistList)):
-                return [*self, *other]
-            if isinstance(other, (tuple, _AxesBase.ArtistList)):
-                return (*self, *other)
-            return NotImplemented
-
-        def __radd__(self, other):
-            if isinstance(other, list):
-                return other + list(self)
-            if isinstance(other, tuple):
-                return other + tuple(self)
-            return NotImplemented
+    @_api.deprecated('3.12', alternative='matplotlib.artist.ArtistList')
+    @property
+    def ArtistList(self):
+        return martist.ArtistList
 
     @property
     def artists(self):
-        return self.ArtistList(self, 'artists', invalid_types=(
+        return martist.ArtistList(self, 'artists', invalid_types=(
             mcoll.Collection, mimage.AxesImage, mlines.Line2D, mpatches.Patch,
             mtable.Table, mtext.Text))
 
     @property
     def collections(self):
-        return self.ArtistList(self, 'collections',
-                               valid_types=mcoll.Collection)
+        return martist.ArtistList(self, 'collections', valid_types=mcoll.Collection)
 
     @property
     def images(self):
-        return self.ArtistList(self, 'images', valid_types=mimage.AxesImage)
+        return martist.ArtistList(self, 'images', valid_types=mimage.AxesImage)
 
     @property
     def lines(self):
-        return self.ArtistList(self, 'lines', valid_types=mlines.Line2D)
+        return martist.ArtistList(self, 'lines', valid_types=mlines.Line2D)
 
     @property
     def patches(self):
-        return self.ArtistList(self, 'patches', valid_types=mpatches.Patch)
+        return martist.ArtistList(self, 'patches', valid_types=mpatches.Patch)
 
     @property
     def tables(self):
-        return self.ArtistList(self, 'tables', valid_types=mtable.Table)
+        return martist.ArtistList(self, 'tables', valid_types=mtable.Table)
 
     @property
     def texts(self):
-        return self.ArtistList(self, 'texts', valid_types=mtext.Text)
+        return martist.ArtistList(self, 'texts', valid_types=mtext.Text)
 
     def get_facecolor(self):
         """Get the facecolor of the Axes."""