diff --git a/crates/processing_pyo3/examples/background_image.py b/crates/processing_pyo3/examples/background_image.py
index 632dcd9..3cdaa55 100644
--- a/crates/processing_pyo3/examples/background_image.py
+++ b/crates/processing_pyo3/examples/background_image.py
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 from processing import *
 
 def setup():
+    global i
     size(800, 600)
+    i = image("images/logo.png")
+
 
 def draw():
-    background(220)
-    image("images/logo.png")
+    background(220, 100, 24)
+    background(i)
 
 
 # TODO: this should happen implicitly on module load somehow
diff --git a/crates/processing_pyo3/src/graphics.rs b/crates/processing_pyo3/src/graphics.rs
index 5c4c173..00245f8 100644
--- a/crates/processing_pyo3/src/graphics.rs
+++ b/crates/processing_pyo3/src/graphics.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ impl Drop for Surface {
     }
 }
 
+#[pyclass]
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Image {
+    entity: Entity,
+}
+
+impl Drop for Image {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let _ = image_destroy(self.entity);
+    }
+}
+
 #[pyclass(unsendable)]
 pub struct Graphics {
     entity: Entity,
@@ -71,6 +83,11 @@ impl Graphics {
             .map_err(|e| PyRuntimeError::new_err(format!("{e}")))
     }
 
+    pub fn background_image(&self, image: &Image) -> PyResult<()> {
+        graphics_record_command(self.entity, DrawCommand::BackgroundImage(image.entity))
+            .map_err(|e| PyRuntimeError::new_err(format!("{e}")))
+    }
+
     pub fn fill(&self, args: Vec<f32>) -> PyResult<()> {
         let (r, g, b, a) = parse_color(&args)?;
         let color = bevy::color::Color::srgba(r, g, b, a);
@@ -124,10 +141,11 @@ impl Graphics {
         .map_err(|e| PyRuntimeError::new_err(format!("{e}")))
     }
 
-    pub fn image(&self, file: &str) -> PyResult<()> {
-        let image = image_load(file).unwrap();
-        graphics_record_command(self.entity, DrawCommand::BackgroundImage(image))
-            .map_err(|e| PyRuntimeError::new_err(format!("{e}")))
+    pub fn image(&self, file: &str) -> PyResult<Image> {
+        match image_load(file) {
+            Ok(image) => Ok(Image { entity: image }),
+            Err(e) => Err(PyRuntimeError::new_err(format!("{e}"))),
+        }
     }
 
     pub fn push_matrix(&self) -> PyResult<()> {
diff --git a/crates/processing_pyo3/src/lib.rs b/crates/processing_pyo3/src/lib.rs
index 97c7b8d..3e5d07a 100644
--- a/crates/processing_pyo3/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/processing_pyo3/src/lib.rs
@@ -11,14 +11,15 @@
 mod glfw;
 mod graphics;
 
-use graphics::{Graphics, get_graphics, get_graphics_mut};
-use pyo3::{exceptions::PyRuntimeError, prelude::*};
+use graphics::{Graphics, Image, get_graphics, get_graphics_mut};
+use pyo3::{exceptions::PyRuntimeError, prelude::*, types::PyTuple};
 
 use std::env;
 
 #[pymodule]
 fn processing(m: &Bound<'_, PyModule>) -> PyResult<()> {
     m.add_class::<Graphics>()?;
+    m.add_class::<Image>()?;
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(size, m)?)?;
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(run, m)?)?;
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(background, m)?)?;
@@ -98,8 +99,13 @@ fn run(module: &Bound<'_, PyModule>) -> PyResult<()> {
 
 #[pyfunction]
 #[pyo3(pass_module, signature = (*args))]
-fn background(module: &Bound<'_, PyModule>, args: Vec<f32>) -> PyResult<()> {
-    get_graphics(module)?.background(args)
+fn background(module: &Bound<'_, PyModule>, args: &Bound<'_, PyTuple>) -> PyResult<()> {
+    let first = args.get_item(0)?;
+    if first.is_instance_of::<Image>() {
+        get_graphics(module)?.background_image(&*first.extract::<PyRef<Image>>()?)
+    } else {
+        get_graphics(module)?.background(args.extract()?)
+    }
 }
 
 #[pyfunction]
@@ -150,6 +156,6 @@ fn rect(
 
 #[pyfunction]
 #[pyo3(pass_module, signature = (image_file))]
-fn image(module: &Bound<'_, PyModule>, image_file: &str) -> PyResult<()> {
+fn image(module: &Bound<'_, PyModule>, image_file: &str) -> PyResult<Image> {
     get_graphics(module)?.image(image_file)
 }