Artwork of the Month: Champagne, France by Charlie Waite
25 September 2025
This month, the artwork was chosen by members of the Medical Records team at St George's Hospital. Our Art Collection Officer, Rachel, visited the Medical Records team, last week to lead the Artwork of the Month vote.
As the leaves are turning orange and thicker coats are being brought out of the wardrobe, Rachel shortlisted three artworks from the St George’s Art and Heritage Collection based on the theme of ‘Autumn’. After discussing all the artworks, the winner of the vote was Champagne, France by Charlie Waite.
About the artwork:
In this artwork, a tree-lined road stretches into the distance, lined on each side with a thick bed of orange leaves. The rays from a low sun pass through the trees, throwing shadows onto the road and creating a warm glow in the golden leaves. The photograph was taken in Champagne, a region in north-east France famous for the sparkling wine which shares it name.
When asked how the artwork made the feel, the Medical Records team commented that it made them feel nostalgic and peaceful. The Autumnal scene also made them think of end of summer, and the approach of winter. They could feel the crispness of the leaves and the orange and yellow colours of the photograph made them think of warmth and cosiness.
This artwork can be found in Atkinson Morley Wing at St George’s Hospital.
About the artist:
Charlie Waite is a renowned landscape photographer. Born in 1949, he had a ten-year career as an actor in British theatre and television before embarking on a career shift to landscape photography, inspired by the impact of light and shade on the landscape.
He is internationally recognised for his skill in landscape photography, capturing an atmosphere of serenity and calm through his photographs. He has held solo exhibitions in the UK, Japan, Australia and the USA and his photographs can be found in private, corporate, and public collections, like the St George’s Art and Heritage Collection.
In 2007, he was granted the Amateur Photographer’s Power of Photography Award and in 2014 he was awarded a direct Fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society. He has also been featured in television shows and series discussing landscape photography.
Arts St George’s (part of St George’s Hospital Charity) is the arts programme for St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. To find out more, follow us on socials @artsstgeorges, or follow Arts St George's - St George's Hospital Charity
The 'Our Hospital: conserving, curating and responding to St George’s Art and Heritage Collection’ is a three-year project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and made possible by money raised by National Lottery players. The project is focusing on conserving, cataloguing, reinterpreting and digitising St George’s Hospital’s unique Art and Heritage Collection so it can be enjoyed by many more people.
