When asked about his fascination with the animal by [Dick] Cavett, the artist describes anteaters as “angelic.” A master of PR, Dalí knew well by this stage in his career the marketability of his eccentricities but even so, his longstanding affinity to anteaters does seem earnest, and certainly well-documented.
Photo: Salvador Dalí walking a giant anteater in Paris, 1969.
...his longstanding affinity to anteaters does seem earnest, and certainly well-documented.
That's interesting. I've seen this photo before, but always kind of figured it was a stunt, as Dalí had a penchant for.
I wonder if he possibly had his buddy here declawed, as some (asshole) owners of cats do. IIRC, anteater claws are so powerful that they can rip apart termite mounds, which are much like cement in toughness.