Merge pull request matplotlib#25276 from meeseeksmachine/auto-backport-of-pr-25237-on-v3.7.x

Backport PR matplotlib#25237 on branch v3.7.x (Fixed a bug where rcParams settings were being ignored for formatting axes labels)

Author: ksunden

lib/matplotlib/axis.py

@@ -866,6 +866,11 @@ def clear(self):
         - registered callbacks
         """
         self.label._reset_visual_defaults()
+        # The above resets the label formatting using text rcParams,
+        # so we then update the formatting using axes rcParams
+        self.label.set_color(mpl.rcParams['axes.labelcolor'])
+        self.label.set_fontsize(mpl.rcParams['axes.labelsize'])
+        self.label.set_fontweight(mpl.rcParams['axes.labelweight'])
         self.offsetText._reset_visual_defaults()
         self.labelpad = mpl.rcParams['axes.labelpad']
 

lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py

@@ -8431,3 +8431,15 @@ def test_zorder_and_explicit_rasterization():
     ln, = ax.plot(range(5), rasterized=True, zorder=1)
     with io.BytesIO() as b:
         fig.savefig(b, format='pdf')
+
+
+@mpl.style.context('default')
+def test_rc_axes_label_formatting():
+    mpl.rcParams['axes.labelcolor'] = 'red'
+    mpl.rcParams['axes.labelsize'] = 20
+    mpl.rcParams['axes.labelweight'] = 'bold'
+
+    ax = plt.axes()
+    assert ax.xaxis.label.get_color() == 'red'
+    assert ax.xaxis.label.get_fontsize() == 20
+    assert ax.xaxis.label.get_fontweight() == 'bold'