diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3agg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3agg.py
index 239911238a53..5e26ff385282 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3agg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3agg.py
@@ -17,9 +17,6 @@ def __init__(self, figure):
         backend_gtk3.FigureCanvasGTK3.__init__(self, figure)
         self._bbox_queue = []
 
-    def _render_figure(self, width, height):
-        backend_agg.FigureCanvasAgg.draw(self)
-
     def on_draw_event(self, widget, ctx):
         """GtkDrawable draw event, like expose_event in GTK 2.X."""
         allocation = self.get_allocation()
@@ -71,8 +68,7 @@ def blit(self, bbox=None):
 
     def draw(self):
         if self.get_visible() and self.get_mapped():
-            allocation = self.get_allocation()
-            self._render_figure(allocation.width, allocation.height)
+            backend_agg.FigureCanvasAgg.draw(self)
         super().draw()
 
     def print_png(self, filename, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3cairo.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3cairo.py
index 433cbb555041..13b4587b2f7c 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3cairo.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk3cairo.py
@@ -20,10 +20,6 @@ def __init__(self, figure):
         super().__init__(figure)
         self._renderer = RendererGTK3Cairo(self.figure.dpi)
 
-    def _render_figure(self, width, height):
-        self._renderer.set_width_height(width, height)
-        self.figure.draw(self._renderer)
-
     def on_draw_event(self, widget, ctx):
         """GtkDrawable draw event."""
         with (self.toolbar._wait_cursor_for_draw_cm() if self.toolbar
@@ -34,7 +30,9 @@ def on_draw_event(self, widget, ctx):
                 self.get_style_context(), ctx,
                 allocation.x, allocation.y,
                 allocation.width, allocation.height)
-            self._render_figure(allocation.width, allocation.height)
+            self._renderer.set_width_height(
+                allocation.width, allocation.height)
+            self.figure.draw(self._renderer)
 
 
 @_BackendGTK3.export