diff --git a/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.23.0.txt b/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.23.0.txt
index c6dadb7589869..5f008a7bc8dea 100644
--- a/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.23.0.txt
+++ b/doc/source/whatsnew/v0.23.0.txt
@@ -1024,6 +1024,7 @@ I/O
 Plotting
 ^^^^^^^^
 
+- Better error message when attempting to plot but matplotlib is not installed (:issue:`19810`).
 - :func:`DataFrame.plot` now raises a ``ValueError`` when the ``x`` or ``y`` argument is improperly formed (:issue:`18671`)
 - Bug in :func:`DataFrame.plot` when ``x`` and ``y`` arguments given as positions caused incorrect referenced columns for line, bar and area plots (:issue:`20056`)
 - Bug in formatting tick labels with ``datetime.time()`` and fractional seconds (:issue:`18478`).
diff --git a/pandas/plotting/_core.py b/pandas/plotting/_core.py
index 6c3d07124215b..c5f72cb391572 100644
--- a/pandas/plotting/_core.py
+++ b/pandas/plotting/_core.py
@@ -44,12 +44,19 @@
 try:
     from pandas.plotting import _converter
 except ImportError:
-    pass
+    _HAS_MPL = False
 else:
+    _HAS_MPL = True
     if get_option('plotting.matplotlib.register_converters'):
         _converter.register(explicit=True)
 
 
+def _raise_if_no_mpl():
+    # TODO(mpl_converter): remove once converter is explicit
+    if not _HAS_MPL:
+        raise ImportError("matplotlib is required for plotting.")
+
+
 def _get_standard_kind(kind):
     return {'density': 'kde'}.get(kind, kind)
 
@@ -97,6 +104,7 @@ def __init__(self, data, kind=None, by=None, subplots=False, sharex=None,
                  secondary_y=False, colormap=None,
                  table=False, layout=None, **kwds):
 
+        _raise_if_no_mpl()
         _converter._WARN = False
         self.data = data
         self.by = by
@@ -2264,6 +2272,7 @@ def hist_frame(data, column=None, by=None, grid=True, xlabelsize=None,
         ...     }, index= ['pig', 'rabbit', 'duck', 'chicken', 'horse'])
         >>> hist = df.hist(bins=3)
     """
+    _raise_if_no_mpl()
     _converter._WARN = False
     if by is not None:
         axes = grouped_hist(data, column=column, by=by, ax=ax, grid=grid,
@@ -2403,6 +2412,7 @@ def grouped_hist(data, column=None, by=None, ax=None, bins=50, figsize=None,
     -------
     axes: collection of Matplotlib Axes
     """
+    _raise_if_no_mpl()
     _converter._WARN = False
 
     def plot_group(group, ax):
@@ -2469,6 +2479,7 @@ def boxplot_frame_groupby(grouped, subplots=True, column=None, fontsize=None,
     >>> grouped = df.unstack(level='lvl1').groupby(level=0, axis=1)
     >>> boxplot_frame_groupby(grouped, subplots=False)
     """
+    _raise_if_no_mpl()
     _converter._WARN = False
     if subplots is True:
         naxes = len(grouped)
diff --git a/pandas/tests/plotting/test_misc.py b/pandas/tests/plotting/test_misc.py
index c5ce8aba9d80e..c82c939584dc7 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/plotting/test_misc.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/plotting/test_misc.py
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@
 from pandas.tests.plotting.common import TestPlotBase, _check_plot_works
 
 
+@td.skip_if_mpl
+def test_import_error_message():
+    # GH-19810
+    df = DataFrame({"A": [1, 2]})
+
+    with tm.assert_raises_regex(ImportError, 'matplotlib is required'):
+        df.plot()
+
+
 @td.skip_if_no_mpl
 class TestSeriesPlots(TestPlotBase):
 
diff --git a/pandas/util/_test_decorators.py b/pandas/util/_test_decorators.py
index 8ad73538fbec1..ab6dfee9c862c 100644
--- a/pandas/util/_test_decorators.py
+++ b/pandas/util/_test_decorators.py
@@ -160,6 +160,8 @@ def decorated_func(func):
 
 skip_if_no_mpl = pytest.mark.skipif(_skip_if_no_mpl(),
                                     reason="Missing matplotlib dependency")
+skip_if_mpl = pytest.mark.skipif(not _skip_if_no_mpl(),
+                                 reason="matplotlib is present")
 skip_if_mpl_1_5 = pytest.mark.skipif(_skip_if_mpl_1_5(),
                                      reason="matplotlib 1.5")
 xfail_if_mpl_2_2 = pytest.mark.xfail(_skip_if_mpl_2_2(),