Pictures of good health

The art world has been kicking up a fuss again. But this time it's about what art, if any at all, should go into NHS hospitals to help give patients a more pleasant environment. As the Saatchi collection makes a gift of contemporary works for hospital display, Alexandra Pitman looks at the ensuing argument

Waterlines by Richard Long is familiar to anyone who spends a lot of time in hospitals. The huge grey print shows the dribbles of waterlines made by the artist on a trek through Portugal and Spain in 1989 and was one of six prints offered to hospitals by the King's Fund in the late 1980s. The contemporary works, by artists including Anish Kapoor and Helen Chadwick, were chosen by art critic Richard Cork and made available at low prices. Many hospitals took up the offer, recognising the importance of the arts in providing a stimulating and invigorating environment for patients.

The idea of using art to enliven the healthcare environment for patients, staff, and visitors can be traced right back to the Renaissance.1 Florence Nightingale observed in 1859 that “variety of form and brilliancy of colour in the objects presented to patients have a powerful effect” and “are actual means of recovery.” The theory is that spartan clinical surroundings can be humanised by introducing colour, interest, and the human touch. Since the goal of health care is to …