import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

x = np.linspace(0, 2 * np.pi, 400)
y = np.sin(x ** 2)

fig, axs = plt.subplots(2, 2)
axs[0, 0].plot(x, y)
cl2c = axs[0, 1].scatter(x, y, c=x)
fig.colorbar(cl2c, ax=axs[0, 1], label='c-label')
axs[1, 0].plot(x, y)
axs[1, 1].plot(x, y)

for ax in axs.flat:
    ax.set(xlabel='x-label', ylabel='y-label')

# try to hide x labels and tick labels for top plots and y ticks for right plots,
# but this fails to hide the labels for axs[0, 1] due to its colorbar
for ax in axs.flat:
    ax.label_outer()

fig, axs = plt.subplots(2, 2)
axs[0, 0].plot(x, y)
cl2c = axs[0, 1].scatter(x, y, c=x)
axs[1, 0].plot(x, y)
axs[1, 1].plot(x, y)

for ax in axs.flat:
    ax.set(xlabel='x-label', ylabel='y-label')

# Hide x labels and tick labels for top plots and y ticks for right plots.
for ax in axs.flat:
    ax.label_outer()

fig.colorbar(cl2c, ax=axs[0, 1], label='c-label')

fig.tight_layout()