diff --git a/examples/basics/scene/mesh_texture.py b/examples/basics/scene/mesh_texture.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..155f85c962
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/basics/scene/mesh_texture.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import argparse
+
+import numpy as np
+from vispy import app, scene
+from vispy.io import imread, load_data_file, read_mesh
+from vispy.scene.visuals import Mesh
+from vispy.visuals.filters import TextureFilter
+
+
+parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+parser.add_argument('--shading', default='smooth',
+                    choices=['none', 'flat', 'smooth'],
+                    help="shading mode")
+args = parser.parse_args()
+
+mesh_path = load_data_file('spot/spot.obj.gz')
+texture_path = load_data_file('spot/spot.png')
+vertices, faces, normals, texcoords = read_mesh(mesh_path)
+texture = np.flipud(imread(texture_path))
+
+canvas = scene.SceneCanvas(keys='interactive', bgcolor='white',
+                           size=(800, 600))
+view = canvas.central_widget.add_view()
+
+view.camera = 'arcball'
+# Adapt the depth to the scale of the mesh to avoid rendering artefacts.
+view.camera.depth_value = 10 * (vertices.max() - vertices.min())
+
+shading = None if args.shading == 'none' else args.shading
+mesh = Mesh(vertices, faces, shading=shading, color='white')
+mesh.shininess = 1e-3
+view.add(mesh)
+
+texture_filter = TextureFilter(texture, texcoords)
+mesh.attach(texture_filter)
+
+
+@canvas.events.key_press.connect
+def on_key_press(event):
+    if event.key == "t":
+        texture_filter.enabled = not texture_filter.enabled
+        mesh.update()
+
+
+def attach_headlight(mesh, view, canvas):
+    light_dir = (0, -1, 0, 0)
+    mesh.light_dir = light_dir[:3]
+    initial_light_dir = view.camera.transform.imap(light_dir)
+
+    @view.scene.transform.changed.connect
+    def on_transform_change(event):
+        transform = view.camera.transform
+        mesh.light_dir = transform.map(initial_light_dir)[:3]
+
+
+attach_headlight(mesh, view, canvas)
+
+
+canvas.show()
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    app.run()
diff --git a/vispy/visuals/filters/__init__.py b/vispy/visuals/filters/__init__.py
index d7d25cf116..93edec0df8 100644
--- a/vispy/visuals/filters/__init__.py
+++ b/vispy/visuals/filters/__init__.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 # Copyright (c) Vispy Development Team. All Rights Reserved.
 # Distributed under the (new) BSD License. See LICENSE.txt for more info.
 
+from .base_filter import Filter  # noqa
 from .clipper import Clipper  # noqa
 from .color import Alpha, ColorFilter, IsolineFilter, ZColormapFilter  # noqa
 from .picking import PickingFilter  # noqa
+from .mesh import TextureFilter  # noqa
diff --git a/vispy/visuals/filters/base_filter.py b/vispy/visuals/filters/base_filter.py
index 4cfc22721e..a76e91c8de 100644
--- a/vispy/visuals/filters/base_filter.py
+++ b/vispy/visuals/filters/base_filter.py
@@ -34,14 +34,14 @@ class Filter(BaseFilter):
 
     Parameters
     ----------
-    vcode : str | None
+    vcode : str | Function | None
         Vertex shader code. If None, ``vhook`` and ``vpos`` will
         be ignored.
     vhook : {'pre', 'post'}
         Hook name to attach the vertex shader to.
     vpos : int
         Position in the hook to attach the vertex shader.
-    fcode : str | None
+    fcode : str | Function | None
         Fragment shader code. If None, ``fhook`` and ``fpos`` will
         be ignored.
     fhook : {'pre', 'post'}
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def __init__(self, vcode=None, vhook='post', vpos=5,
         super(Filter, self).__init__()
 
         if vcode is not None:
-            self.vshader = Function(vcode)
+            self.vshader = Function(vcode) if isinstance(vcode, str) else vcode
             self._vexpr = self.vshader()
             self._vhook = vhook
             self._vpos = vpos
@@ -69,13 +69,15 @@ def __init__(self, vcode=None, vhook='post', vpos=5,
             self.vshader = None
 
         if fcode is not None:
-            self.fshader = Function(fcode)
+            self.fshader = Function(fcode) if isinstance(fcode, str) else fcode
             self._fexpr = self.fshader()
             self._fhook = fhook
             self._fpos = fpos
         else:
             self.fshader = None
 
+        self._attached = False
+
     def _attach(self, visual):
         """Called when a filter should be attached to a visual.
 
@@ -92,6 +94,9 @@ def _attach(self, visual):
             hook = visual._get_hook('frag', self._fhook)
             hook.add(self._fexpr, position=self._fpos)
 
+        self._attached = True
+        self._visual = visual
+
     def _detach(self, visual):
         """Called when a filter should be detached from a visual.
 
@@ -107,3 +112,6 @@ def _detach(self, visual):
         if self.fshader:
             hook = visual._get_hook('frag', self._fhook)
             hook.remove(self._fexpr)
+
+        self._attached = False
+        self._visual = None
diff --git a/vispy/visuals/filters/mesh.py b/vispy/visuals/filters/mesh.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0b5946e16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vispy/visuals/filters/mesh.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+# Copyright (c) Vispy Development Team. All Rights Reserved.
+# Distributed under the (new) BSD License. See LICENSE.txt for more info.
+import numpy as np
+from vispy.gloo import Texture2D, VertexBuffer
+from vispy.visuals.shaders import Function, Varying
+from vispy.visuals.filters import Filter
+
+
+class TextureFilter(Filter):
+    """Filter to apply a texture to a mesh.
+
+    Note the texture is applied by multiplying the texture color by the
+    Visual's produced color. By specifying `color="white"` when creating
+    a `MeshVisual` the result will be the unaltered texture value. Any
+    other color, including the default, will result in a blending of that
+    color and the color of the texture.
+
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, texture, texcoords, enabled=True):
+        """Apply a texture on a mesh.
+
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        texture : (M, N) or (M, N, C) array
+            The 2D texture image.
+        texcoords : (N, 2) array
+            The texture coordinates.
+        enabled : bool
+            Whether the display of the texture is enabled.
+        """
+        vfunc = Function("""
+            void pass_coords() {
+                $v_texcoords = $texcoords;
+            }
+        """)
+        ffunc = Function("""
+            void apply_texture() {
+                if ($enabled == 1) {
+                    gl_FragColor *= texture2D($u_texture, $texcoords);
+                }
+            }
+        """)
+        self._texcoord_varying = Varying('v_texcoord', 'vec2')
+        vfunc['v_texcoords'] = self._texcoord_varying
+        ffunc['texcoords'] = self._texcoord_varying
+        self._texcoords_buffer = VertexBuffer(
+            np.zeros((0, 2), dtype=np.float32)
+        )
+        vfunc['texcoords'] = self._texcoords_buffer
+        super().__init__(vcode=vfunc, vhook='pre', fcode=ffunc)
+
+        self.enabled = enabled
+        self.texture = texture
+        self.texcoords = texcoords
+
+    @property
+    def enabled(self):
+        """True to display the texture, False to disable."""
+        return self._enabled
+
+    @enabled.setter
+    def enabled(self, enabled):
+        self._enabled = enabled
+        self.fshader['enabled'] = 1 if enabled else 0
+
+    @property
+    def texture(self):
+        """The texture image."""
+        return self._texture
+
+    @texture.setter
+    def texture(self, texture):
+        self._texture = texture
+        self.fshader['u_texture'] = Texture2D(texture)
+
+    @property
+    def texcoords(self):
+        """The texture coordinates as an (N, 2) array of floats."""
+        return self._texcoords
+
+    @texcoords.setter
+    def texcoords(self, texcoords):
+        self._texcoords = texcoords
+        self._update_texcoords_buffer(texcoords)
+
+    def _update_texcoords_buffer(self, texcoords):
+        if not self._attached or self._visual is None:
+            return
+
+        # FIXME: Indices for texture coordinates might be different than face
+        # indices, although in some cases they are the same. Currently,
+        # vispy.io.read_mesh assumes face indices and texture coordinates are
+        # the same.
+        # TODO:
+        # 1. Add reading and returning of texture coordinate indices in
+        #    read_mesh.
+        # 2. Add texture coordinate indices in MeshData from
+        #    vispy.geometry.meshdata
+        # 3. Use mesh_data.get_texcoords_indices() here below.
+        tc = texcoords[self._visual.mesh_data.get_faces()]
+        self._texcoords_buffer.set_data(tc, convert=True)
+
+    def _attach(self, visual):
+        super()._attach(visual)
+        self._update_texcoords_buffer(self._texcoords)
diff --git a/vispy/visuals/mesh.py b/vispy/visuals/mesh.py
index fe460259a9..f9ac29ec36 100644
--- a/vispy/visuals/mesh.py
+++ b/vispy/visuals/mesh.py
@@ -349,59 +349,35 @@ def mesh_data_changed(self):
 
     def _update_data(self):
         md = self.mesh_data
-        # Update vertex/index buffers
-        if self.shading == 'smooth' and not md.has_face_indexed_data():
-            v = md.get_vertices()
-            if v is None:
-                return False
-            if v.shape[-1] == 2:
-                v = np.concatenate((v, np.zeros((v.shape[:-1] + (1,)))), -1)
-            self._vertices.set_data(v, convert=True)
-            self._normals.set_data(md.get_vertex_normals(), convert=True)
-            self._faces.set_data(md.get_faces(), convert=True)
-            self._index_buffer = self._faces
-            if md.has_vertex_color():
-                colors = md.get_vertex_colors()
-                colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
-            elif md.has_face_color():
-                colors = md.get_face_colors()
-                colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
-            elif md.has_vertex_value():
-                colors = md.get_vertex_values()[:, np.newaxis]
-                colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
-            else:
-                colors = self._color.rgba
+
+        v = md.get_vertices(indexed='faces')
+        if v is None:
+            return False
+        if v.shape[-1] == 2:
+            v = np.concatenate((v, np.zeros((v.shape[:-1] + (1,)))), -1)
+        self._vertices.set_data(v, convert=True)
+        if self.shading == 'smooth':
+            normals = md.get_vertex_normals(indexed='faces')
+            self._normals.set_data(normals, convert=True)
+        elif self.shading == 'flat':
+            normals = md.get_face_normals(indexed='faces')
+            self._normals.set_data(normals, convert=True)
         else:
-            # It might actually be slower to prefer the indexed='faces' mode.
-            # It certainly adds some complexity, and I'm not sure what the
-            # benefits are, or if they justify this additional complexity.
-            v = md.get_vertices(indexed='faces')
-            if v is None:
-                return False
-            if v.shape[-1] == 2:
-                v = np.concatenate((v, np.zeros((v.shape[:-1] + (1,)))), -1)
-            self._vertices.set_data(v, convert=True)
-            if self.shading == 'smooth':
-                normals = md.get_vertex_normals(indexed='faces')
-                self._normals.set_data(normals, convert=True)
-            elif self.shading == 'flat':
-                normals = md.get_face_normals(indexed='faces')
-                self._normals.set_data(normals, convert=True)
-            else:
-                self._normals.set_data(np.zeros((0, 3), dtype=np.float32))
-            self._index_buffer = None
-            if md.has_vertex_color():
-                colors = md.get_vertex_colors(indexed='faces')
-                colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
-            elif md.has_face_color():
-                colors = md.get_face_colors(indexed='faces')
-                colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
-            elif md.has_vertex_value():
-                colors = md.get_vertex_values(indexed='faces')
-                colors = colors.ravel()[:, np.newaxis]
-                colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
-            else:
-                colors = self._color.rgba
+            self._normals.set_data(np.zeros((0, 3), dtype=np.float32))
+        self._index_buffer = None
+        if md.has_vertex_color():
+            colors = md.get_vertex_colors(indexed='faces')
+            colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
+        elif md.has_face_color():
+            colors = md.get_face_colors(indexed='faces')
+            colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
+        elif md.has_vertex_value():
+            colors = md.get_vertex_values(indexed='faces')
+            colors = colors.ravel()[:, np.newaxis]
+            colors = colors.astype(np.float32)
+        else:
+            colors = self._color.rgba
+
         self.shared_program.vert['position'] = self._vertices
 
         self.shared_program['texture2D_LUT'] = self._cmap.texture_lut() \