diff --git a/doc/api/artist_api.rst b/doc/api/artist_api.rst
index 3903bbd5924d..4f3d8a8a7bcc 100644
--- a/doc/api/artist_api.rst
+++ b/doc/api/artist_api.rst
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ Miscellaneous
    :nosignatures:
 
    Artist.sticky_edges
+   Artist.set_in_autoscale
+   Artist.get_in_autoscale
    Artist.set_in_layout
    Artist.get_in_layout
    Artist.stale
diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/2019-11-02-in_autoscale.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/2019-11-02-in_autoscale.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..85d0639cbdab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/2019-11-02-in_autoscale.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+``Artist`` gained an ``set_in_autoscale()`` method
+---------------------------------------------------
+
+The ``Artist`` class gained an ``set_in_autoscale()`` method which
+is used to determine if the instance is used in the autoscale calculation.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
index d03c8b6d75fc..937d96a4d27f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -212,6 +212,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self._path_effects = mpl.rcParams['path.effects']
         self._sticky_edges = _XYPair([], [])
         self._in_layout = True
+        self._in_autoscale = True
 
     def __getstate__(self):
         d = self.__dict__.copy()
@@ -887,6 +888,13 @@ def _fully_clipped_to_axes(self):
                      or isinstance(clip_path, TransformedPatchPath)
                      and clip_path._patch is self.axes.patch))
 
+    def get_in_autoscale(self):
+        """
+        Return boolean flag, ``True`` if artist is included in autoscale
+        calculations.
+        """
+        return self._in_autoscale
+
     def get_clip_on(self):
         """Return whether the artist uses clipping."""
         return self._clipon
@@ -1090,6 +1098,16 @@ def set_in_layout(self, in_layout):
         """
         self._in_layout = in_layout
 
+    def set_in_autoscale(self, in_autoscale):
+        """
+        Set if artist is to be included in autoscale calculations.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        in_autoscale : bool
+        """
+        self._in_autoscale = in_autoscale
+
     def get_label(self):
         """Return the label used for this artist in the legend."""
         return self._label
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
index 8a105f4da67d..ebac90bc0584 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/axes/_base.py
@@ -2289,6 +2289,8 @@ def add_image(self, image):
         return image
 
     def _update_image_limits(self, image):
+        if not image.get_in_autoscale():
+            return
         xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax = image.get_extent()
         self.axes.update_datalim(((xmin, ymin), (xmax, ymax)))
 
@@ -2324,6 +2326,9 @@ def _update_line_limits(self, line):
         """
         Figures out the data limit of the given line, updating self.dataLim.
         """
+        if not line.get_in_autoscale():
+            return
+
         path = line.get_path()
         if path.vertices.size == 0:
             return
@@ -2391,6 +2396,9 @@ def _update_patch_limits(self, patch):
         # cannot check for '==0' since unitized data may not compare to zero
         # issue #2150 - we update the limits if patch has non zero width
         # or height.
+        if not patch.get_in_autoscale():
+            return
+
         if (isinstance(patch, mpatches.Rectangle) and
                 ((not patch.get_width()) and (not patch.get_height()))):
             return
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_artist.py
index 9bfb4ebce1bd..cf217698fbb3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_artist.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_artist.py
@@ -562,3 +562,45 @@ def draw(self, renderer, extra):
 
     assert 'aardvark' == art.draw(renderer, 'aardvark')
     assert 'aardvark' == art.draw(renderer, extra='aardvark')
+
+
+def test_line_in_autoscale_true():
+    # test autoscale is performed when in_autoscale=True for a line.
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.plot([0, 1])
+    ax.plot([0, 1, 2, 3], in_autoscale=True)
+    ax.margins(0)
+    ax.autoscale_view()
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == ax.get_ylim() == (0, 3)
+
+
+def test_line_in_autoscale_false():
+    # test autoscale is not performed when in_autoscale=False for a line.
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.plot([0, 1])
+    ax.plot([0, 1, 2, 3], in_autoscale=False)
+    ax.margins(0)
+    ax.autoscale_view()
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == ax.get_ylim() == (0, 1)  # The default limits.
+
+
+def test_patch_in_autoscale_true():
+    # test autoscale is performed when in_autoscale=True for a patch.
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.plot([0, 1])
+    ax.bar([0, 1, 2, 3], [0, 10, 20, 30], width=0.5, in_autoscale=True)
+    ax.margins(0)
+    ax.autoscale_view()
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == (-.25, 3.25)
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == (0, 30)
+
+
+def test_patch_in_autoscale_false():
+    # test autoscale is not performed when in_autoscale=False for a patch.
+    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
+    ax.plot([0, 1])
+    ax.bar([0, 1, 2, 3], [0, 10, 20, 30], width=0.5, in_autoscale=False)
+    ax.margins(0)
+    ax.autoscale_view()
+    assert ax.get_xlim() == (0, 1)
+    assert ax.get_ylim() == (0, 1)