ACT I

Vincent van Gogh has fled from cold, impersonal Paris to Arles, in the warm South of France.  He finds heat and color to inspire his painting to new levels of greatness.  He searches eagerly for acceptance of his art, for models to paint, for friendship—even for love—from his neighbors, and he attempts feverishly to found a "Studio in the South" where a community of artists will join him in creative harmony.

ACT II

Paul Gauguin arrives, broke, hungry, needing lodging, needing acknowledgement of the genius of his art.  Vincent welcomes Paul ecstatically as "the master"; but their visions, their personalities, are too strongly contrary.  They clash.  Paul destroys Vincent's dream of the Studio…and almost destroys Vincent.  And yet, out of the havoc in Vincent's life, we see him create many of his greatest masterpieces.