matplotlib
diff --git a/‎doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/22135-JSS3.rst
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diff --git a/‎lib/matplotlib/figure.py
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+41-22Lines changed: 41 additions & 22 deletions b/‎lib/matplotlib/figure.py
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+41-22Lines changed: 41 additions & 22 deletions
diff --git a/‎lib/matplotlib/tests/test_figure.py
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@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Figure & subfigure clearing
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Fixed a bug in which ``Figure.clf()`` and ``Figure.clear()`` were broken 
+when ``Figure`` contained axes not stored in ``Figure._localaxes``.  Moved the
+``clear`` and ``clf`` methods to ``FigureBase``, so ``Subfigure``s can now be
+independently cleared. Added a routine to clear ``Figure.subfigs`` when 
+``Figure.clear()`` is called. This effects the API as it removes active 
+subfigure references when clearing a figure.     
@@ -940,6 +940,43 @@ def _break_share_link(ax, grouper):
         # Break link between any twinned axes
         _break_share_link(ax, ax._twinned_axes)
 
+    def clf(self, keep_observers=False):
+        """
+        Clear the figure.
+        Set *keep_observers* to True if, for example,
+        a gui widget is tracking the Axes in the figure.
+        """
+        self.suppressComposite = None
+        self.callbacks = cbook.CallbackRegistry()
+
+        for subfig in self.subfigs:
+            # first clear the axes in any subfigures
+            subfig.clf(keep_observers=keep_observers)
+
+        for ax in tuple(self.axes):  # Iterate over the copy.
+            ax.cla()
+            self.delaxes(ax)  # Remove ax from self._axstack.
+
+        self._axstack = _AxesStack()
+        self.artists = []
+        self.subfigs = []
+        self.lines = []
+        self.patches = []
+        self.texts = []
+        self.images = []
+        self.legends = []
+        if not keep_observers:
+            self._axobservers = cbook.CallbackRegistry()
+        self._suptitle = None
+        self._supxlabel = None
+        self._supylabel = None
+
+        self.stale = True
+
+    def clear(self, keep_observers=False):
+        """Clear the figure -- synonym for `clf`."""
+        self.clf(keep_observers=keep_observers)
+
     # Note: in the docstring below, the newlines in the examples after the
     # calls to legend() allow replacing it with figlegend() to generate the
     # docstring of pyplot.figlegend.
@@ -2824,35 +2861,17 @@ def clf(self, keep_observers=False):
         Set *keep_observers* to True if, for example,
         a gui widget is tracking the Axes in the figure.
         """
-        self.suppressComposite = None
-        self.callbacks = cbook.CallbackRegistry()
-
-        for ax in tuple(self.axes):  # Iterate over the copy.
-            ax.cla()
-            self.delaxes(ax)  # Remove ax from self._axstack.
-
+        super().clf(keep_observers=keep_observers)
+        # FigureBase.clf does not clear toolbars, as
+        # only Figure can have toolbars
         toolbar = self.canvas.toolbar
         if toolbar is not None:
             toolbar.update()
-        self._axstack.clear()
-        self.artists = []
-        self.lines = []
-        self.patches = []
-        self.texts = []
-        self.images = []
-        self.legends = []
-        if not keep_observers:
-            self._axobservers = cbook.CallbackRegistry()
-        self._suptitle = None
-        self._supxlabel = None
-        self._supylabel = None
-
-        self.stale = True
 
     def clear(self, keep_observers=False):
         """Clear the figure -- synonym for `clf`."""
         self.clf(keep_observers=keep_observers)
-
+        
     @_finalize_rasterization
     @allow_rasterization
     def draw(self, renderer):
 
@@ -709,6 +709,86 @@ def test_removed_axis():
     fig.canvas.draw()
 
 
+def test_figure_clear():
+    # we test the following figure clearing scenarios:
+    fig = plt.figure()
+
+    # a) an empty figure
+    fig.clear()
+    assert fig.axes == []
+
+    # b) a figure with a single unnested axes
+    ax = fig.add_subplot(111)
+    fig.clear()
+    assert fig.axes == []
+
+    # c) a figure multiple unnested axes
+    axes = [fig.add_subplot(2, 1, i+1) for i in range(2)]
+    fig.clear()
+    assert fig.axes == []
+
+    # d) a figure with a subfigure
+    gs = fig.add_gridspec(ncols=2, nrows=1)
+    subfig = fig.add_subfigure(gs[0])
+    subaxes = subfig.add_subplot(111)
+    fig.clear()
+    assert subfig not in fig.subfigs
+    assert fig.axes == []
+
+    # e) a figure with a subfigure and a subplot
+    subfig = fig.add_subfigure(gs[0])
+    subaxes = subfig.add_subplot(111)
+    mainaxes = fig.add_subplot(gs[1])
+
+    # e.1) removing just the axis leaves the subplot
+    mainaxes.remove()
+    assert [subaxes] == fig.axes
+
+    # e.2) removing just the subaxis leaves the subplot
+    # and subfigure
+    mainaxes = fig.add_subplot(gs[1])
+    subaxes.remove()
+    assert [mainaxes] == fig.axes
+    assert subfig in fig.subfigs
+
+    # e.3) clearing the subfigure leaves the subplot
+    subaxes = subfig.add_subplot(111)
+    assert all(ax in fig.axes for ax in [mainaxes, subaxes])
+    subfig.clear()
+    assert subfig in fig.subfigs
+    assert subaxes not in subfig.axes
+    assert subaxes not in fig.axes
+    assert mainaxes in fig.axes
+
+    # e.4) clearing the whole thing
+    subaxes = subfig.add_subplot(111)
+    fig.clear()
+    assert fig.axes == []
+    assert fig.subfigs == []
+
+    # f) multiple subfigures
+    subfigs = [fig.add_subfigure(gs[i]) for i in [0, 1]]
+    subaxes = [sfig.add_subplot(111) for sfig in subfigs]
+    assert all(ax in fig.axes for ax in subaxes)
+    assert all(sfig in fig.subfigs for sfig in subfigs)
+
+    # f.1) clearing only one subfigure
+    subfigs[0].clear()
+    assert subaxes[0] not in fig.axes
+    assert subaxes[1] in fig.axes
+    assert subfigs[1] in fig.subfigs
+
+    # f.2) clearing the whole thing
+    subfigs[1].clear()
+    subfigs = [fig.add_subfigure(gs[i]) for i in [0, 1]]
+    subaxes = [sfig.add_subplot(111) for sfig in subfigs]
+    assert all(ax in fig.axes for ax in subaxes)
+    assert all(sfig in fig.subfigs for sfig in subfigs)
+    fig.clear()
+    assert fig.subfigs == []
+    assert fig.axes == []
+
+
 @mpl.style.context('mpl20')
 def test_picking_does_not_stale():
     fig, ax = plt.subplots()