'Add a :class:`~matplotlib.image.AxesImage` to the axes.
Returns the image.'

def add_image(self, image):

    self._set_artist_props(image)
    if (not image.get_label()):
        image.set_label((u'_image%d' % len(self.images)))
    self.images.append(image)
    image._remove_method = (lambda h: self.images.remove(h))
    self.stale = True
    return image
