diff --git a/include/wx/generic/animate.h b/include/wx/generic/animate.h
index efc1c29446..7a140b3b96 100644
--- a/include/wx/generic/animate.h
+++ b/include/wx/generic/animate.h
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@ WX_DECLARE_LIST_WITH_DECL(wxAnimationDecoder, wxAnimationDecoderList, class WXDL
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_ADV wxAnimation : public wxAnimationBase
 {
 public:
+    wxAnimation(const wxString &name, wxAnimationType type = wxANIMATION_TYPE_ANY)
+        { LoadFile(name, type); }
+
     virtual bool IsOk() const
         { return m_refData != NULL; }
 
diff --git a/include/wx/gtk/animate.h b/include/wx/gtk/animate.h
index 1bc82afc18..67a5f6d1b3 100644
--- a/include/wx/gtk/animate.h
+++ b/include/wx/gtk/animate.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ typedef struct _GdkPixbufAnimationIter GdkPixbufAnimationIter;
 class WXDLLIMPEXP_ADV wxAnimation : public wxAnimationBase
 {
 public:
+    wxAnimation(const wxString &name, wxAnimationType type = wxANIMATION_TYPE_ANY)
+        : m_pixbuf(NULL) { LoadFile(name, type); }
     wxAnimation(GdkPixbufAnimation *p = NULL);
     wxAnimation(const wxAnimation&);
     ~wxAnimation() { UnRef(); }