'Frederique Spigt appears in this photograph in Dutch Beauty, my photography book launching on December 15. It celebrates 100 examples of Dutch beauty: one hundred strong women with a passion for what they do.
Alongside the standard bookstore edition, there will be a limited run of 250 collector's editions, each so large that it needs its own table. This edition supports the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI), an international nonprofit focused on healthcare education and information. The collector's editions are therefore numbered and signed by both me and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and part of the proceeds will go to the organization.
When Frederique and I discussed what kind of photograph to make, she suggested doing something with horses. Fine, I thought: I will get a bale of straw and a saddle, and we can make beautiful, controlled images in the studio. 'No,' Frederique said, 'I want a real horse!' Oh my God—where was I going to find one? My studio was too small. Then I discovered a riding school just down the road from my home. I visited and met its owner, Annemarie Brouwer, who also appears in the book.
She let me photograph there and choose a horse. I was drawn to a beautiful gray stallion. He had experienced a traumatic youth but had made a full recovery through the method developed by Monty Roberts.
Frederique wore a beautiful corset and cowboy boots, with a shotgun over her shoulder. She mounted the horse in one movement, without a saddle, and became one with him. The rapport between horse and rider enabled me to make beautiful photographs. It was very special. Yes, I am extremely happy with this image.'
- Name: Patricia Steur (1948)
- Residence: Kockengen
- Info: www. patriciasteur.com
