diff --git a/doc/api/index.rst b/doc/api/index.rst
index c4f199b3dbc..d8c39a315c4 100644
--- a/doc/api/index.rst
+++ b/doc/api/index.rst
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ Plotting data and laying out the map:
     Figure.logo
     Figure.image
     Figure.shift_origin
+    Figure.subplot
     Figure.text
     Figure.meca
 
diff --git a/doc/index.rst b/doc/index.rst
index b57c05e992d..04292c9aa88 100644
--- a/doc/index.rst
+++ b/doc/index.rst
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     projections/index.rst
     tutorials/coastlines.rst
     tutorials/plot.rst
+    tutorials/subplots.rst
 
 .. toctree::
     :maxdepth: 2
diff --git a/examples/tutorials/subplots.py b/examples/tutorials/subplots.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..4b849f08ee1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/tutorials/subplots.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""
+Subplots
+========
+
+When you're preparing a figure for a paper, there will often be times when
+you'll need to put many individual plots into one large figure, and label them
+'abcd'. These individual plots are called subplots.
+
+There are two main ways to handle subplots in GMT:
+
+- Use :meth:`pygmt.Figure.shift_origin` to manually move each individual plot
+  to the right position.
+- Use :meth:`pygmt.Figure.subplot` to define the layout of the subplots.
+
+The first method is easier to use and should handle simple cases involving a
+couple of subplots. For more advanced subplot layouts however, we recommend the
+use of :meth:`pygmt.Figure.subplot` which offers finer grained control, and
+this is what the tutorial below will cover.
+"""
+
+###############################################################################
+# Let's start by importing the PyGMT library and initiating a figure.
+
+import pygmt
+
+fig = pygmt.Figure()
+
+###############################################################################
+# Define subplot layout
+# ---------------------
+#
+# The ``fig.subplot(directive="begin")`` command is used to setup the layout,
+# size, and other attributes of the figure. It divides the whole canvas into
+# regular grid areas with n rows and m columns. Each grid area can contain an
+# individual subplot. For example:
+
+fig.subplot(directive="begin", row=2, col=3, dimensions="s5c/3c", frame="lrtb")
+
+###############################################################################
+# will define our figure to have a 2 row and 3 column grid layout.
+# ``dimensions="s5c/3c"`` specifies that each 's'ubplot will have a width of
+# 5cm and height of 3cm. Alternatively, you can set ``dimensions="f15c/6c"`` to
+# define the overall size of the 'f'igure to be 15cm wide by 6cm high. Using
+# ``frame="lrtb"`` allows us to customize the map frame for all subplots. The
+# figure layout will look like the following:
+
+for index in range(2 * 3):
+    i = index // 3  # row
+    j = index % 3  # column
+    fig.subplot(directive="set", row=i, col=j)
+    fig.text(
+        x=0.5, y=0.5, text=f"index: {index}, row: {i}, col: {j}", region=[0, 1, 0, 1]
+    )
+fig.subplot(directive="end")
+fig.show()
+
+###############################################################################
+# The ``fig.subplot(directive="set")`` command activates a specified subplot,
+# and all subsequent plotting commands will take place in that subplot. In
+# order to specify a subplot, you will need to know the identifier for each
+# subplot. This can be done by setting the ``row`` and ``col`` arguments.
+
+###############################################################################
+# .. note::
+#
+#     The row and column numbering starts from 0. So for a subplot layout with
+#     N rows and M columns, row numbers will go from 0 to N-1, and column
+#     numbers will go from 0 to M-1.
+
+###############################################################################
+# For example, to activate the subplot on the top right corner (index: 2) so
+# that all subsequent plotting commands happen there, you can use the following
+# command:
+
+###############################################################################
+# .. code-block:: default
+#
+#     fig.subplot(directive="set", row=0, col=2)
+
+###############################################################################
+# Finally, remember to use ``fig.subplot(directive="end")`` to exit the subplot
+# mode.
+
+###############################################################################
+# .. code-block:: default
+#
+#     fig.subplot(directive="end")
diff --git a/pygmt/base_plotting.py b/pygmt/base_plotting.py
index 950e1b089de..987813220af 100644
--- a/pygmt/base_plotting.py
+++ b/pygmt/base_plotting.py
@@ -884,6 +884,60 @@ def legend(self, spec=None, position="JTR+jTR+o0.2c", box="+gwhite+p1p", **kwarg
             lib.call_module("legend", arg_str)
 
     @fmt_docstring
+    @use_alias(F="dimensions", B="frame")
+    def subplot(self, directive: str, row: int = None, col: int = None, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Manage modern mode figure subplot configuration and selection.
+
+        The subplot module is used to split the current figure into a
+        rectangular layout of subplots that each may contain a single
+        self-contained figure. A subplot setup is started with the begin
+        directive that defines the layout of the subplots, while positioning to
+        a particular subplot for plotting is done via the set directive. The
+        subplot process is completed via the end directive.
+
+        Full option list at :gmt-docs:`subplot.html`
+
+        {aliases}
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        directive : str
+            Either 'begin', 'set' or 'end'.
+        row : int
+            The number of rows if using the 'begin' directive, or the row
+            number if using the 'set' directive. First row is 0, not 1.
+        col : int
+            The number of columns if using the 'begin' directive, or the column
+            number if using the 'set' directive. First column is 0, not 1.
+        dimensions : str
+            ``[f|s]width(s)/height(s)[+fwfracs/hfracs][+cdx/dy][+gfill][+ppen]
+            [+wpen]``
+            Specify the dimensions of the figure when using the 'begin'
+            directive. There are two different ways to do this: (f) Specify
+            overall figure dimensions or (s) specify the dimensions of a single
+            subplot.
+        """
+        if directive not in ("begin", "set", "end"):
+            raise GMTInvalidInput(
+                f"Unrecognized subplot directive '{directive}',\
+                should be either 'begin', 'set', or 'end'"
+            )
+
+        with Session() as lib:
+            rowcol = ""  # default is blank, e.g. when directive == "end"
+            if row is not None and col is not None:
+                if directive == "begin":
+                    rowcol = f"{row}x{col}"
+                elif directive == "set":
+                    rowcol = f"{row},{col}"
+            arg_str = " ".join(
+                a for a in [directive, rowcol, build_arg_string(kwargs)] if a
+            )
+            lib.call_module(module="subplot", args=arg_str)
+
+    @fmt_docstring
+    @use_alias(R="region", J="projection", B="frame")
     @use_alias(
         R="region",
         J="projection",
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_subplot_basic.png b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_subplot_basic.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6a9a6a6b5e5
Binary files /dev/null and b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_subplot_basic.png differ
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_subplot_frame.png b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_subplot_frame.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..071133e1869
Binary files /dev/null and b/pygmt/tests/baseline/test_subplot_frame.png differ
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_subplot.py b/pygmt/tests/test_subplot.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fa3630e70c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_subplot.py
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+"""
+Tests subplot
+"""
+import pytest
+
+from .. import Figure
+from ..exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_subplot_basic():
+    """
+    Create a subplot figure with 1 row and 2 columns.
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.subplot(directive="begin", row=1, col=2, dimensions="f6c/3c")
+    fig.subplot(directive="set", row=0, col=0)
+    fig.basemap(region=[0, 3, 0, 3], frame=True)
+    fig.subplot(directive="set", row=0, col=1)
+    fig.basemap(region=[0, 3, 0, 3], frame=True)
+    fig.subplot(directive="end")
+    return fig
+
+
+@pytest.mark.mpl_image_compare
+def test_subplot_frame():
+    """
+    Check that map frame setting is applied to all subplot figures
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    fig.subplot(directive="begin", row=1, col=2, dimensions="f6c/3c", frame="WSne")
+    fig.subplot(directive="set", row=0, col=0)
+    fig.basemap(region=[0, 3, 0, 3], frame="+tplot0")
+    fig.subplot(directive="set", row=0, col=1)
+    fig.basemap(region=[0, 3, 0, 3], frame="+tplot1")
+    fig.subplot(directive="end")
+    return fig
+
+
+def test_subplot_incorrect_directive():
+    """
+    Check that subplot fails when an incorrect directive is used
+    """
+    fig = Figure()
+    with pytest.raises(GMTInvalidInput):
+        fig.subplot(directive="start")