matplotlib · anntzer · Nov 27, 2020
diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/19031-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/19031-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+``artist.set_picker(False)`` disables artist picking
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Previously, setting the ``picker`` property of an artist to any non-None value,
+including ``False``, would keep picking enabled.  This was deemed a bug;
+now, truthy values enable picking and falsy ones disable it.  The default is
+now ``False`` instead of ``None``, but both mean that picking is disabled by
+default.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ def __init__(self):
        self._clippath = None
        self._clipon = True
        self._label = ''
-        self._picker = None
+        self._picker = False
        self._contains = None
        self._rasterized = False
        self._agg_filter = None
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ def pickable(self):
        --------
        set_picker, get_picker, pick
        """
-        return self.figure is not None and self._picker is not None
+        return self.figure is not None and self._picker

    def pick(self, mouseevent):
        """
@@ -539,14 +539,12 @@ def set_picker(self, picker):

        Parameters
        ----------
-        picker : None or bool or callable
+        picker : bool or callable
            This can be one of the following:

-            - *None*: Picking is disabled for this artist (default).
-
-            - A boolean: If *True* then picking will be enabled and the
-              artist will fire a pick event if the mouse event is over
-              the artist.
+            - A boolean: Whether picking is enabled, i.e. whether the
+              artist fires a pick event when the mouse event occurs over
+              the artist.  The default is False, i.e. picking is disabled.

            - A function: If picker is callable, it is a user supplied
              function which determines whether the artist is hit by the

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/patches.py b/lib/matplotlib/patches.py
@@ -123,7 +123,8 @@ def get_verts(self):
    def _process_radius(self, radius):
        if radius is not None:
            return radius
-        if isinstance(self._picker, Number):
+        if (isinstance(self._picker, Number)
+                and not isinstance(self._picker, bool)):
            _radius = self._picker
        else:
            if self.get_edgecolor()[3] == 0: