import java.io.*;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.swing.*;
import javax.imageio.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
import java.awt.event.*;

public class MenuBarExample_BackgroundImage  implements ActionListener{
private  static BufferedImage image;
private  static JPanel  panel = new JPanel(){
protected void paintComponent(Graphics g){
super.paintComponent(g);
if(image != null){
g.drawImage(image, 0, 0, this);
}
}
};
MenuBarExample_BackgroundImage(){
panel.setLayout(null);
JMenuBar menubar = new JMenuBar();
    JMenu menu = new JMenu("Select");
    JMenuItem Item1 = new JMenuItem("c:\\flower1.jpg");
    JMenuItem Item2 = new JMenuItem("c:\\flower2.jpg");
    JMenuItem Item3 = new JMenuItem("c:\\flower3.jpg");
    JMenuItem Item4 = new JMenuItem("c:\\flower4.jpg");
    menu.add(Item1);
    menu.add(Item2);
    menu.add(Item3);
    menu.add(Item4);
    menubar.add(menu);
    Item1.addActionListener(this);
    Item2.addActionListener(this);
    Item3.addActionListener(this);
    Item4.addActionListener(this);
    JFrame f=new JFrame();
    f.setJMenuBar(menubar);
    f.add(MenuBarExample_BackgroundImage.getPanel());
    f.setSize(300,200);
    f.setVisible(true);
}
public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            String st=e.getActionCommand();
            try{
File file=new File(st);
image = ImageIO.read(file);
Dimension imageSize = new Dimension(image.getWidth(), image.getHeight());
panel.setPreferredSize(imageSize);
panel.repaint();     
}

catch(Exception ex){}
        }
public  static JPanel getPanel(){
return panel;
}

public static void main(String[] args){
new MenuBarExample_BackgroundImage();
}
}