Elephants, along with melting clocks, are the two best known objects from Dali's Surrealist periods. Dali made use of elephants on several occasions, with their inclusion in this painting best known for their elongated limbs. Closer attention also reveals that the animals are carrying heavy obelisks on the backs, and these are believed to have been inspired by the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This Italian had produced sculpture base in Rome where an elephant carrys an ancient obelisk.

The Elephant recurs several times again in Dali's work, first appearing in his 1944 painting, Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening. It appears again in The Temptation of Saint Anthony and Swans reflecting Elephants. The vibrant background continues inspiration from the Catalonian countryside, as seen also in Persistence of Memory and Rose Meditative.