diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index 798cd661fc1e..fce646eb0fdb 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -318,7 +318,6 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.patch.set_aa(False)
 
         self._hold = rcParams['axes.hold']
-        self.canvas = None
 
         if subplotpars is None:
             subplotpars = SubplotParams()
@@ -327,9 +326,17 @@ def __init__(self,
         self.set_tight_layout(tight_layout)
 
         self._axstack = AxesStack()  # track all figure axes and current axes
+        self._axobservers = []
+        self.canvas = self._setup_canvas()
         self.clf()
         self._cachedRenderer = None
 
+    def _setup_canvas(self):
+        import matplotlib.backends as mbackends
+        backend_mod, _, _, _ = mbackends.pylab_setup()
+        manager = backend_mod.new_figure_manager_given_figure(1, self)
+        return manager.canvas
+
     def show(self, warn=True):
         """
         If using a GUI backend with pyplot, display the figure window.
@@ -361,6 +368,9 @@ def show(self, warn=True):
                 "matplotlib is currently using a non-GUI backend, "
                 "so cannot show the figure")
 
+    def update(self):
+        self.canvas.draw_idle()
+
     def _get_axes(self):
         return self._axstack.as_list()