The Boss - 36" X 48" Oil on Panel

The Boss & Mount Temple

Few animals have achieved the legendary status of The Boss, the massive male grizzly who has roamed Banff National Park for nearly three decades.

In creating this painting, I studied countless photographs, videos and documentation of this remarkable bear, combining that research with a lifetime spent painting wildlife and travelling through grizzly country. From his damaged right ear and weathered, grizzled face to his long tawny-white claws and immense physical presence, I wanted every detail to help tell his story.

I chose Mount Temple as the backdrop because this painting is as much about the landscape as it is the bear. Its towering presence captures the grandeur of Banff and the extraordinary country The Boss calls home.

My goal was to portray the confidence and tremendous power of a mature male grizzly, elevated on solid mountain stone, looking back across his domain.

“The Boss & Mount Temple” is my artistic tribute to one of the most remarkable grizzly bears of the Canadian Rockies.

~Des McCaffrey

Oil on Hardboard

36 x 48 inches

$19,000