The year this photograph was taken, 1970, Arbus was busy: she was compiling her portfolio of images entitled 'The Box of Ten Photographs', was involved in an exhibition on news photography at the Museum of Modern Art with the influential photography curator, John Szarkowski, was receiving prestigious awards, and still continuing to pursue interesting commercial projects, such as an assignment from Esquire to photograph a carnival in Hagerstown, Maryland. In this powerful image intended for the story, a tattooed man stands like a fighter. His strong body fills the frame, covered intimidatingly both in tattoos and hair, but in contrast his pale eyes have an unexpectedly soulful expression. Arbus was at the height of her career, but sadly had a long history of depression and shortly after, on July 28, 1971, she took her life, aged only 48.