diff --git a/baukit/plotwidget.py b/baukit/plotwidget.py
index e4248c5..17d53a9 100644
--- a/baukit/plotwidget.py
+++ b/baukit/plotwidget.py
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ class PlotWidget(Image):
     For example, in the above, assigning `plot.freq = 3` will redraw the
     plot with freq set to 3.
     """
-    def __init__(self, redraw_rule, **kwargs):
+    def __init__(self, redraw_rule, rc=None, **kwargs):
         super().__init__()
         init_args = dict(kwargs)
+        self.rc = {} if rc is None else rc
         
         all_names = []
         for i, (name, p) in enumerate(inspect.signature(redraw_rule).parameters.items()):
@@ -41,20 +42,21 @@ class PlotWidget(Image):
                 setattr(self, name, Property(default))
                 all_names.append(name)
 
-        old_backend = matplotlib.pyplot.get_backend()
-        matplotlib.pyplot.switch_backend('agg')
-        if 'mosaic' in init_args:
-           self.fig, _ = matplotlib.pyplot.subplot_mosaic(**init_args)
-        else:
-           self.fig, _ = matplotlib.pyplot.subplots(**init_args)
+        with matplotlib.pyplot.rc_context(rc=self.rc):
+            old_backend = matplotlib.pyplot.get_backend()
+            matplotlib.pyplot.switch_backend('agg')
+            if 'mosaic' in init_args:
+               self.fig, _ = matplotlib.pyplot.subplot_mosaic(**init_args)
+            else:
+               self.fig, _ = matplotlib.pyplot.subplots(**init_args)
         matplotlib.pyplot.switch_backend(old_backend)
 
         def invoke_redraw():
-            args = [self.fig]
-            for name in all_names:
-                args.append(getattr(self, name))
-            redraw_rule(*args)
-            self.render(self.fig)
+            with matplotlib.pyplot.rc_context(rc=self.rc):
+                args = [self.fig]
+                for name in all_names:
+                    args.append(getattr(self, name))
+                redraw_rule(*args)
+                self.render(self.fig)
         self.on(' '.join(all_names), invoke_redraw)
         invoke_redraw()
-