Is Nature Art Good for Medical Offices and Healthcare Spaces?

Yes — nature imagery has been a standard, well-established part of evidence-based healthcare design for decades, with research consistently linking it to lower patient stress and more positive perceptions of the care environment. The strongest results come from realistic nature scenes — landscapes, water, open greenery — not abstract art, which research has linked to increased anxiety in already-stressed patients. Two of my own Colorado landscape photographs are part of that established practice today, on permanent display in the emergency room at AdventHealth Aurora Highlands.

What the Research Actually Shows

The foundational study is Roger Ulrich's 1984 paper in Science, which found that surgical patients recovering in rooms with a window view of trees had shorter hospital stays, took fewer strong pain medications, and received fewer negative nurse notes than matched patients whose window faced a brick wall. It's one of the most cited studies in evidence-based healthcare design, and it's the reason "views of nature" became a design priority in hospitals at all.

A 2018 randomized controlled trial in the Journal of Hospital Medicine tested artwork in hospital rooms for 186 cancer patients, split between choosing their own painting, being assigned one, or having no artwork at all. While there was not a significant difference in anxiety, mood, depression, or pain scores between groups, the patients in every group with artwork reported significantly better perceptions of the hospital environment itself. Put simply: artwork changes how a space feels to the people in it, even in a study that didn't find it changed pain or anxiety scores directly.

The type of nature scenes on the wall matters too. Hospital art programs consistently find that representational, nonthreatening scenes — parks, water, open landscapes, soft color palettes — test as the most calming and most preferred imagery across patient populations. Abstract art, urban scenes with strong lines, or ambiguous imagery can have the opposite effect, reading as more threatening to patients who are already stressed. That's worth knowing before you choose what to hang.

A Real Example: AdventHealth Aurora Highlands ER

Two of my Colorado landscape photographs — Foothills Sunset and Wildflower Cascade — are on permanent display in the emergency room at AdventHealth Aurora Highlands, chosen specifically as Colorado scenes recognizable to the patients being treated there. As I wrote when that placement went up: "If an image on the wall pulls someone's attention outward for a few seconds — toward a ridgeline holding the last of the evening light, or water moving through a meadow of wildflowers — it has done real work." You can read more about that placement in the full write-up.

What Kind of Nature Art Works Best in a Clinical Setting

Based on the research above, the subject matter that performs best in medical offices and healthcare spaces tends to share a few traits: open, uncrowded landscapes rather than dense or busy compositions; water, which reads as calming across almost every study on the topic; soft, natural light rather than harsh or stormy conditions; and recognizable, real places rather than abstract or ambiguous imagery. Calm lake reflections and open mountain views — like Mountain Reflections, Early Morning Reflections, and Upper Chicago Lake — fit that profile well for waiting rooms, patient rooms, and exam spaces where the goal is to lower stress rather than energize a space.

Material matters here too, for practical reasons beyond aesthetics. High-traffic clinical environments call for durable, easy-to-maintain surfaces — a hard-surfaced metal print resists moisture and wipes clean more easily than canvas or paper, which matters in spaces cleaned frequently. For a full breakdown of how canvas, metal, and fine art paper differ and which suits which setting, see Canvas, Metal, or Fine Art Paper: Which Should You Choose?

Sourcing Art for a Healthcare Space or Medical Office

Outfitting a waiting room, patient floor, or medical office is a different process than buying a single print for a home. It usually involves multiple pieces, specific wall dimensions, and a faster timeline than a one-off purchase. I work directly with healthcare facilities, designers, and commercial buyers through a dedicated trade and commercial program — send a photo of the space, a floor plan, or just the wall dimensions, and I'll put together a real mockup showing the piece in place along with firm pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does nature art actually reduce patient stress or anxiety?

Roger Ulrich's landmark 1984 study found real nature views improved surgical recovery outcomes and a 2018 trial in the Journal of Hospital Medicine found that patients with artwork in their room reported significantly better perceptions of the hospital environment. Put simply: artwork changes how a space feels to the people in it, even if it doesn't directly lower pain or anxiety scores. For how the same effect works at home, see Does Wall Art Affect Your Mood?

Is abstract art or nature photography better for a medical office?

Evidence-based art research consistently favors representational nature scenes — recognizable landscapes, water, open greenery — over abstract art. Abstract, ambiguous, or strongly linear/urban imagery has been linked to increased perceived threat and anxiety in vulnerable or stressed patients, which is the opposite of the intended effect.

What real-world experience does Brian Kerls Photography have with healthcare placements?

More than one instance. In 2016, High Country Harvest — a San Juan Mountains landscape near Ridgway, Colorado — was donated to The Foundation for Photo/Art in Hospitals, a nonprofit whose mission is placing large nature photographs in hospitals worldwide to give comfort to patients, families, and caregivers. Two Colorado landscapes also hang in the emergency room at AdventHealth Aurora Highlands — see above for that placement.

What print material holds up best in a clinical environment?

Metal prints tend to hold up best in high-traffic, frequently-cleaned healthcare spaces — the surface resists moisture and humidity and wipes clean more easily than canvas or unframed paper. Framed fine art paper under glass is also a durable, easy-to-clean option.

How does a healthcare facility or designer get started?

Through the trade and commercial program — send a photo of the space, a floor plan, or the wall dimensions, and you'll get a real mockup with firm pricing back directly.

Looking to source art for a healthcare space, office, or commercial project? Start with the trade and commercial program or browse the full gallery for more calming, nature-focused landscapes.

Sources: Ulrich, R. S. (1984). "View through a window may influence recovery from surgery." Science, 224(4647), 420-421. George, D. R., et al. (2018). "Evaluating the benefits of hospital room artwork for patients receiving cancer treatment: A randomized controlled trial." Journal of Hospital Medicine, 13(8), 558-561. Evidence-based art subject matter research synthesized by UF Health Arts in Medicine. Case study: AdventHealth Aurora Highlands ER Photographs.