St George's Healthcare has a history ranging back 300 years. Originally St George's Hospital was founded in 1733, and was based for 250 years at Lanesborough House, at Hyde Park Corner. The hospital collection includes a few pictures from these earliest times. These commemorate the Hyde Park Corner building and an esteemed founding physician. The majority of the pictures are contemporary and over half have been donated. Pictures are chosen and artworks commissioned for particular hospital spaces and groups of patients. The purpose of the art collection is to create a better environment for hospital patients and staff. The collection is an asset of the St George's Hospital Charity and the Charity funds its continuing care and occasional acquisitions.