diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/22245-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/22245-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e49a44e69b4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/22245-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+*cleared* parameter of ``get_renderer``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+This parameter, which only existed for agg-based backends, has been deprecated.
+Use ``renderer.clear()`` instead to explicitly clear the renderer buffer.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
index b462b47a429a..7b7b4d9b8cf3 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
@@ -427,7 +427,8 @@ def restore_region(self, region, bbox=None, xy=None):
 
     def draw(self):
         # docstring inherited
-        self.renderer = self.get_renderer(cleared=True)
+        self.renderer = self.get_renderer()
+        self.renderer.clear()
         # Acquire a lock on the shared font cache.
         with RendererAgg.lock, \
              (self.toolbar._wait_cursor_for_draw_cm() if self.toolbar
@@ -437,6 +438,7 @@ def draw(self):
             # don't forget to call the superclass.
             super().draw()
 
+    @_api.delete_parameter("3.6", "cleared", alternative="renderer.clear()")
     def get_renderer(self, cleared=False):
         w, h = self.figure.bbox.size
         key = w, h, self.figure.dpi
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
index a0e099d576d2..69ef4dae3737 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_macosx.py
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ def set_cursor(self, cursor):
         _macosx.set_cursor(cursor)
 
     def _draw(self):
-        renderer = self.get_renderer(cleared=self.figure.stale)
+        renderer = self.get_renderer()
         if self.figure.stale:
+            renderer.clear()
             self.figure.draw(renderer)
         return renderer
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_webagg_core.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_webagg_core.py
index 06c6097bcacc..8e1997887912 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_webagg_core.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_webagg_core.py
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@ def get_diff_image(self):
                 Image.fromarray(data).save(png, format="png")
                 return png.getvalue()
 
+    @_api.delete_parameter("3.6", "cleared", alternative="renderer.clear()")
     def get_renderer(self, cleared=None):
         # Mirrors super.get_renderer, but caches the old one so that we can do
         # things such as produce a diff image in get_diff_image.