Intended to prevent water resistance, swimmer’s ear
Paris (Combined News Services) ~ Rumors that Vincent van Gogh could participate in this summer’s Peasantman Steel Distance Triathlon may have been confirmed Thursday, as the mysterious post-impressionist tweeted a selfie-portrait with his ears bandaged up for the swim.
"Ears all bandaged up in prep 4 Peasantman swim LOL!!!" said the tweet, sent from the artist's official twitter account. Calls to van Gogh's agent asking for a statement went unanswered yesterday.
The tweet does however seem to confirm the rumors swirling that van Gogh would attend this year's race. At last year's event he showed up unannounced in order to paint "Starry Peasantman Night in Penn Yan at Indian Pines Park," now widely considered one of his best works and currently featured at the International Triathlon Art Museum in Antarctica.
"We are extremely excited that Mr. van Gogh will be participating in this year's race," said Peasantman founder Joe McMahon. "I can't wait to hear the crowd start chanting 'gogh gogh gogh van Gogh' on race day."
(Left) The van Gogh tweet, now retweeted over 18 million times.
(Above) "Starry Peasantman Night in Penn Yan at Indian Pines Park," van Gogh's painting depicting last year's Peasantman race.