Russell amassed his own collection of Plains Indian artifacts, including painted robes, shields, headdresses, and a willow backrest of the type seen in this Blackfoot interior. After his marriage to Nancy Cooper in 1896, the artifacts decorated the newlyweds’ home, as surviving photographs of his wife posing in Blackfoot dress indicate. In this drawing, the Blackfoot man is shown painting his hunting and war exploits on the inner surface of a buffalo robe, while his wife looks on approvingly. It is tempting to imagine that Russell saw himself in this work, for the man’s features vaguely resemble those of the artist. The willow backrest is of authentic design, with decorated cloth at the top. A pipe tomahawk, a ceremonial item not used in war, hangs from the backrest. Russell correctly shows the warrior’s shield hanging on the side of the tipi, since the Blackfeet believed that such a shield was exalted and should never be allowed to touch the ground. The artist’s early pen-and-ink drawings, like this one, were much heavier in style than his later work. After he met and became close friends with the noted illustrator Will Crawford, Russell’s pen style grew much more delicate and refined, as well as lighter and more open in tone.