diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
index d1ef2e59750e..45316346405f 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/artist.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import matplotlib
 import matplotlib.cbook as cbook
 from matplotlib import docstring, rcParams
+from matplotlib import style
 from .transforms import Bbox, IdentityTransform, TransformedBbox, \
                        TransformedPath, Transform
 from .path import Path
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@ class Artist(object):
 
     aname = 'Artist'
     zorder = 0
+    style = style.style_property()
 
     def __init__(self):
         self.figure = None
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self._snap = None
         self._sketch = rcParams['path.sketch']
         self._path_effects = rcParams['path.effects']
+        self.style = None
 
     def __getstate__(self):
         d = self.__dict__.copy()
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index aa1b76635643..382e6b577808 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -739,7 +739,7 @@ def stop_filter(self, filter_func):
         pass
 
 
-class GraphicsContextBase:
+class GraphicsContextBase(object):
     """
     An abstract base class that provides color, line styles, etc...
     """
@@ -860,7 +860,7 @@ def get_joinstyle(self):
         """
         return self._joinstyle
 
-    def get_linestyle(self, style):
+    def get_linestyle(self):
         """
         Return the linestyle: one of ('solid', 'dashed', 'dashdot',
         'dotted').
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/old_style/__init__.py
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/style/__init__.py
rename to lib/matplotlib/old_style/__init__.py
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style/core.py b/lib/matplotlib/old_style/core.py
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/style/core.py
rename to lib/matplotlib/old_style/core.py
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/bmh.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/bmh.mplstyle
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/bmh.mplstyle
rename to lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/bmh.mplstyle
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle
rename to lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/dark_background.mplstyle
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle
rename to lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/fivethirtyeight.mplstyle
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/ggplot.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/ggplot.mplstyle
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/ggplot.mplstyle
rename to lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/ggplot.mplstyle
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/grayscale.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/grayscale.mplstyle
similarity index 100%
rename from lib/matplotlib/style/stylelib/grayscale.mplstyle
rename to lib/matplotlib/old_style/stylelib/grayscale.mplstyle
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/style.py b/lib/matplotlib/style.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..79e69d423151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/style.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+from matplotlib.backend_bases import GraphicsContextBase
+
+def style_property(name = 'style', expected_type = Style):
+    """ Property for style attributes. Performs type checking """
+    storage_name = '_' + name
+
+    @property
+    def prop(self):
+        return getattr(self, storage_name)
+    @prop.setter
+    def prop(self, value):
+        if isinstance(value, expected_type) or value is None:
+            setattr(self, storage_name, value)
+        else:
+            raise TypeError('{} must be a {}'.format(name, expected_type))
+         
+    return prop
+    
+    
+class Style(GraphicsContextBase):
+
+    _lineStyles = {
+    '-':    'solid',
+     '--':   'dashed',
+    '-.':   'dashdot',
+    ':':    'dotted'}
+
+    def get_graylevel(self):
+        'Just returns the foreground color'
+        return self._rgb
+
+    alpha = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_alpha, GraphicsContextBase.set_alpha)
+    antialiased = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_antialiased, GraphicsContextBase.set_antialiased)
+    capstyle = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_capstyle, GraphicsContextBase.set_capstyle)
+    clip_rectangle = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_clip_rectangle, GraphicsContextBase.set_clip_rectangle)
+    clip_path = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_clip_path, GraphicsContextBase.set_clip_path)
+    graylevel = property(get_graylevel, GraphicsContextBase.set_graylevel)
+    joinstyle = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_joinstyle, GraphicsContextBase.set_joinstyle)
+    linewidth = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_linewidth, GraphicsContextBase.set_linewidth)
+    linestyle = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_linestyle, GraphicsContextBase.set_linestyle)
+    url = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_url, GraphicsContextBase.set_url)
+    gid = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_gid, GraphicsContextBase.set_gid)
+    snap = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_snap, GraphicsContextBase.set_snap)
+    hatch = property(GraphicsContextBase.get_hatch, GraphicsContextBase.set_hatch)
+
+
+    # Refactoring of set_dashes into two properties..
+    @property
+    def dash_offset(self):
+        return self._dashes[0]
+    @dash_offset.setter
+    def dash_offset(self, value):
+        self._dashes[0] = value
+
+    @property
+    def dashes(self):
+        return self._dashes[1]
+
+    @dashes.setter
+    def dashes(self, value):
+        if value is not None:
+            dl = np.asarray(value)
+            if np.any(dl <= 0.0):
+                raise ValueError("All values in the dash list must be positive")
+
+        self._dashed[1] = value
+
+    #Color property is an alternative to 'set_foreground'. It does the same thing, but makes no allowances for providing a colour already in RGBA format..
+    @property
+    def color(self):
+        return self._rgb
+    @color.setter
+    def color(self, value):
+        self.set_foreground(value)
+
+    # Defining 3 properties for sketch params
+    @property
+    def sketch_scale(self):
+        return self._sketch[0]
+    @sketch_scale.setter
+    def sketch_scale(self, value):        
+        self.set_sketch_params(scale = value)
+
+    @property
+    def sketch_length(self):
+        return self._sketch[1]
+    @sketch_length.setter
+    def sketch_length(self, value):
+        self.set_sketch_params(length = value)
+
+    @property
+    def sketch_randomness(self):
+        return self._sketch[2]
+    @sketch_randomness.setter
+    def sketch_randomness(self, value):
+        self.set_sketch_params(randomness = value)
+
+    @classmethod
+    def from_dict(cls, styleDict):
+        """ Generate a style class from a dictionary """
+        st = cls()
+        for key, value in styleDict.iteritems():
+            setattr(st, key, value)
+
+        return st
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/text.py b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
index 42a48a4af611..9a8ae7d94ff4 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/text.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
@@ -998,7 +998,7 @@ def set_fontproperties(self, fp):
         """
         if is_string_like(fp):
             fp = FontProperties(fp)
-        self._fontproperties = fp.copy()
+        self._fontproperties = fp
 
     def set_font_properties(self, fp):
         'alias for set_fontproperties'