diff --git a/src/recipes.jl b/src/recipes.jl
index 0585e488..3fa7a46e 100644
--- a/src/recipes.jl
+++ b/src/recipes.jl
@@ -805,3 +805,47 @@ abline!(args...; kw...) = abline!(current(), args...; kw...)
     seriestype --> :scatter
     real(cp.args[1]), imag(cp.args[1])
 end
+
+
+# --------------------------------------------------
+# Color Gradients
+
+@userplot ShowLibrary
+@recipe function f(cl::ShowLibrary)
+    if !(length(cl.args) == 1 && isa(cl.args[1], Symbol))
+        error("showlibrary takes the name of a color library as a Symbol")
+    end
+
+    library = PlotUtils.color_libraries[cl.args[1]]
+    z = sqrt.((1:15)*(1:20)')
+
+    seriestype := :heatmap
+    ticks := nothing
+    legend := false
+
+    layout --> length(library.lib)
+
+    i = 0
+    for grad in sort(collect(keys(library.lib)))
+        @series begin
+            seriescolor := cgrad(grad, cl.args[1])
+            title := string(grad)
+            subplot := i += 1
+            z
+        end
+    end
+end
+
+@userplot ShowGradient
+@recipe function f(grad::ShowGradient)
+    if !(length(grad.args) == 1 && isa(grad.args[1], Symbol))
+        error("showgradient takes the name of a color gradient as a Symbol")
+    end
+    z = sqrt.((1:15)*(1:20)')
+    seriestype := :heatmap
+    ticks := nothing
+    legend := false
+    seriescolor := grad.args[1]
+    title := string(grad.args[1])
+    z
+end
diff --git a/src/themes.jl b/src/themes.jl
index 3429585a..e7a39d02 100644
--- a/src/themes.jl
+++ b/src/themes.jl
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@
 function theme(s::Symbol; kw...)
     # reset?
     if s == :none || s == :default
-        PlotUtils._default_gradient[] = :inferno
+        PlotUtils.clibrary(:Plots)
+        PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = :inferno)
         default(;
             bg        = :white,
             bglegend  = :match,
@@ -23,7 +24,8 @@ function theme(s::Symbol; kw...)
     # update the default gradient and other defaults
     thm = PlotThemes._themes[s]
     if thm.gradient != nothing
-        PlotUtils._default_gradient[] = PlotThemes.gradient_name(s)
+        PlotUtils.clibrary(:misc)
+        PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = PlotThemes.gradient_name(s))
     end
     default(;
         bg       = thm.bg_secondary,