diff --git a/docs/src/man/data.md b/docs/src/man/data.md
index 45c15a61..2fb6b969 100644
--- a/docs/src/man/data.md
+++ b/docs/src/man/data.md
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ Graphics
 
 Example:
 
-```jldoctest
+```jldoctest; filter = r"{.*}"
 julia> print_tex(Graphics("img.png"))
 graphics {img.png}
 ```
diff --git a/src/axiselements.jl b/src/axiselements.jl
index a5e1e9fc..92905749 100644
--- a/src/axiselements.jl
+++ b/src/axiselements.jl
@@ -512,6 +512,10 @@ end
 struct Graphics <: OptionType
     options::Options
     filename::String
+    function Graphics(options::Options, filename::AbstractString)
+        # expand path and make it absolute
+        new(options, abspath(expanduser(filename)))
+    end
 end
 
 function Graphics(filename::AbstractString, args::Vararg{PGFOption})
diff --git a/test/test_build.jl b/test/test_build.jl
index 29881655..d37d826e 100644
--- a/test/test_build.jl
+++ b/test/test_build.jl
@@ -198,3 +198,17 @@ end
         end
     end
 end
+
+@testset "graphics with relative path" begin
+    # cf https://github.com/KristofferC/PGFPlotsX.jl/issues/283
+    tmp_pdf = tempname() * ".pdf"
+    mktempdir() do dir
+        cd(dir)
+        pgfsave("img.png", Plot(Table([0, 1], [0, 1])))
+        axis = @pgf Axis(Plot(Graphics({ xmin = 0, xmax = 1, ymin = 0, ymax = 1},
+                                       "img.png")))
+        pgfsave(tmp_pdf, axis)
+        @test is_pdf_file(tmp_pdf)
+        rm(tmp_pdf)
+    end
+end
diff --git a/test/test_elements.jl b/test/test_elements.jl
index ad6b7582..8ce80483 100644
--- a/test/test_elements.jl
+++ b/test/test_elements.jl
@@ -160,8 +160,10 @@ end
     @test repr_tex(Expression("x^2")) == "{x^2}"
     @test repr_tex(Expression(["x^2", "y^2"])) == "(\n{x^2},\n{y^2})"
     # graphics
-    @test repr_tex(@pgf Graphics({ testopt = 1}, "filename")) ==
-        "graphics[testopt={1}] {filename}\n"
+    let gp = abspath("filename")
+        @test repr_tex(@pgf Graphics({ testopt = 1}, "filename")) ==
+            "graphics[testopt={1}] {$(gp)}\n"
+    end
     # coordinates, tables, and plot
     c = Coordinates([(1, 2), (3, 4)])
     @test repr_tex(c) == "coordinates {\n    (1,2)\n    (3,4)\n}\n"