diff --git a/src/spatialexperiment/SpatialExperiment.py b/src/spatialexperiment/SpatialExperiment.py
index c289fe5..a5f66e6 100644
--- a/src/spatialexperiment/SpatialExperiment.py
+++ b/src/spatialexperiment/SpatialExperiment.py
@@ -919,7 +919,7 @@ def img_source(
         sample_id: Union[str, bool, None] = None,
         image_id: Union[str, bool, None] = None,
         path=False,
-    ):
+    ) -> Union[str, Path, None, List[Union[str, Path]]]:
         """Retrieve the source(s) for images stored in the SpatialExperiment object.
 
         Args:
@@ -958,9 +958,42 @@ def img_source(
 
         return img_sources
 
-    def img_raster(self, sample_id=None, image_id=None):
-        # NOTE: this function seems redundant, might be an artifact of the different subclasses of SpatialImage in the R implementation? just call `get_img()` for now
-        self.get_img(sample_id=sample_id, image_id=image_id)
+    def img_raster(self, sample_id=None, image_id=None) -> Union[Image.Image, List[Image.Image], None]:
+        """Retrieve and load (if necessary) the images stored in the SpatialExperiment object.
+
+        Args:
+            sample_id:
+                - `sample_id=True`: Matches all samples.
+                - `sample_id=None`: Matches the first sample.
+                - `sample_id="<str>"`: Matches a sample by its id.
+
+            image_id:
+                - `image_id=True`: Matches all images for the specified sample(s).
+                - `image_id=None`: Matches the first image for the sample(s).
+                - `image_id="<str>"`: Matches image(s) by its(their) id.
+
+        Returns:
+            The loaded image(s) for the matching criteria. Returns `None` if `img_data` is `None`.
+            When a single image matches, returns its loaded image.
+            When multiple images match, returns a list of loaded images.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If no row matches the provided sample_id and image_id pair.
+
+        Note:
+            See :py:meth:`~get_img` for detailed behavior regarding sample_id and image_id parameters.
+        """
+        spis = self.get_img(sample_id=sample_id, image_id=image_id)
+
+        if spis is None:
+            return None
+
+        if isinstance(spis, VirtualSpatialImage):
+            return spis.img_raster()
+
+        img_rasters = [spi.img_raster() for spi in spis]
+
+        return img_rasters
 
     def rotate_img(self, sample_id=None, image_id=None, degrees=90):
         raise NotImplementedError()
diff --git a/tests/test_img_raster.py b/tests/test_img_raster.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c53d153
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_img_raster.py
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+import pytest
+from copy import deepcopy
+from PIL import Image
+import numpy as np
+from spatialexperiment import construct_spatial_image_class
+from spatialexperiment.SpatialImage import (
+    LoadedSpatialImage,
+    StoredSpatialImage,
+    RemoteSpatialImage
+)
+
+def test_loaded_spatial_image_img_raster():
+    image = Image.open("tests/images/sample_image2.png")
+    spi_loaded = construct_spatial_image_class(image, is_url=False)
+    raster = spi_loaded.img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(spi_loaded, LoadedSpatialImage)
+    assert isinstance(raster, Image.Image)
+
+    np_image = np.zeros((100, 100, 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+    spi_loaded_np = construct_spatial_image_class(np_image)
+    raster_np = spi_loaded_np.img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(spi_loaded_np, LoadedSpatialImage)
+    assert isinstance(raster_np, Image.Image)
+
+
+def test_stored_spatial_image_img_raster():
+    image_path = "tests/images/sample_image1.jpg"
+    spi_stored = construct_spatial_image_class(image_path, is_url=False)
+    raster = spi_stored.img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(spi_stored, StoredSpatialImage)
+    assert isinstance(raster, Image.Image)
+
+
+def test_remote_spatial_image_img_raster(monkeypatch):
+    image_url = "https://example.com/test_image.jpg"
+    spi_remote = construct_spatial_image_class(image_url, is_url=True)
+
+    # Mock the _download_image method to return an image
+    mock_path = "tests/images/sample_image1.jpg"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(spi_remote, "_download_image", lambda: mock_path)
+
+    raster = spi_remote.img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(spi_remote, RemoteSpatialImage)
+    assert isinstance(raster, Image.Image)
+
+    # Test LRU cache works as expected
+    num_calls = 0
+
+    def mock_download():
+        num_calls += 1
+        return mock_path
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(spi_remote, "_download_image", mock_download)
+
+    raster2 = spi_remote.img_raster()
+    assert num_calls == 0
+    assert raster2 is raster
+
+
+def test_img_raster_no_img_data(spe):
+    tspe = deepcopy(spe)
+    tspe.img_data = None
+    assert not tspe.img_raster()
+
+
+def test_img_raster_no_matches(spe):
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        res = spe.img_raster(sample_id="foo", image_id="foo")
+
+
+def test_img_raster_both_str(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id="sample_1", image_id="dice")
+    expected_raster = spe.get_img(sample_id="sample_1", image_id="dice").img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(res, Image.Image)
+    assert res == expected_raster
+
+
+def test_img_raster_both_true(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id=True, image_id=True)
+    images = spe.get_img(sample_id=True, image_id=True)
+    expected_rasters = [img.img_raster() for img in images]
+
+    assert isinstance(res, list)
+    assert res == expected_rasters
+
+
+def test_img_raster_both_none(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id=None, image_id=None)
+    expected_raster = spe.get_img(sample_id=None, image_id=None).img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(res, Image.Image)
+    assert res == expected_raster
+
+
+def test_img_raster_sample_str_image_true(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id="sample_1", image_id=True)
+    images = spe.get_img(sample_id="sample_1", image_id=True)
+    expected_rasters = [img.img_raster() for img in images]
+
+    assert isinstance(res, list)
+    assert res == expected_rasters
+
+
+def test_img_raster_sample_true_image_str(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id=True, image_id="desert")
+    expected_raster = spe.get_img(sample_id=True, image_id="desert").img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(res, Image.Image)
+    assert res == expected_raster
+
+
+def test_img_raster_sample_str_image_none(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id="sample_1", image_id=None)
+    expected_raster = spe.get_img(sample_id="sample_1", image_id=None).img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(res, Image.Image)
+    assert res == expected_raster
+
+
+def test_img_raster_sample_none_image_str(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id=None, image_id="aurora")
+    expected_raster = spe.get_img(sample_id=None, image_id="aurora").img_raster()
+
+    assert isinstance(res, Image.Image)
+    assert res == expected_raster
+
+
+def test_img_raster_sample_true_image_none(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id=True, image_id=None)
+    images = spe.get_img(sample_id=True, image_id=None)
+    expected_rasters = [img.img_raster() for img in images]
+
+    assert isinstance(res, list)
+    assert res == expected_rasters
+
+
+def test_img_raster_sample_none_image_true(spe):
+    res = spe.img_raster(sample_id=None, image_id=True)
+    images = spe.get_img(sample_id=None, image_id=True)
+    expected_rasters = [img.img_raster() for img in images]
+
+    assert isinstance(res, list)
+    assert res == expected_rasters