matplotlib / matplotlib/ipympl
Figures in Output disappear if Output displayed twice in same cell
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Description
## Describe the issue
Got an odd one.
If an Output contains a figure, and one calls a single cell containing `display(Output)` twice, the output "empties" and no figure is shown.
Example below. One can emphasise it by first calling `display(o)` in one cell, and then doing the double call (I press ctrl + Enter twice) in another cell. I attach a figure showing the result.

```python
# in one cell:
%matplotlib widget
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from ipywidgets import Output
o = Output()
with o:
plt.figure()
plt.plot([1,2,3])
# In a separate cell, call this twice after each other
display(o)
```
## Versions
```
3.8.2 | packaged by conda-forge | (default, Mar 23 2020, 17:32:17) [MSC v.1916 64 bit (AMD64)]
ipympl version: 0.5.6
jupyter core : 4.6.3
jupyter-notebook : 6.0.3
qtconsole : 4.7.2
ipython : 7.13.0
ipykernel : 5.2.0
jupyter client : 6.1.3
jupyter lab : 2.1.4
nbconvert : 5.6.1
ipywidgets : 7.5.1
nbformat : 5.0.4
traitlets : 4.3.3
Known nbextensions:
config dir: C:\Users\thomasaar\.jupyter\nbconfig
notebook section
default_cells disabled
config dir: C:\Users\thomasaar\.conda\envs\py5\etc\jupyter\nbconfig
notebook section
ipyvolume/extension enabled
- Validating: ok
jupyter-webrtc/extension enabled
- Validating: ok
jupyter-matplotlib/extension enabled
- Validating: ok
plotlywidget/extension enabled
- Validating: ok
jupyter-js-widgets/extension enabled
- Validating: ok
tree section
ipyparallel/main enabled
- Validating: ok
JupyterLab v2.1.4
Known labextensions:
app dir: C:\Users\thomasaar\.conda\envs\py5\share\jupyter\lab
@jupyter-widgets/jupyterlab-manager v2.0.0 enabled ok
@jupyter-widgets/jupyterlab-sidecar v0.5.0 enabled ok
jupyter-matplotlib v0.7.2 enabled ok```
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Reproduce the issue with the provided Python notebook example, calling display(o) twice after creating a matplotlib figure inside an Output widget. Compare the first and second displays using the listed JupyterLab, ipympl, matplotlib, and ipywidgets versions; done means the figure remains visible after the repeated display.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- jupyter-notebook, matplotlib, python
- Domain
- data-visualization, frontend
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100