Paris, the late 19th century. Theodorus van Gogh, renowned art dealer and branch manager of the prestigious Goupil & Cie, seeks to embrace new talent and techniques among up-and-coming painters.

But this was a dark era for innovative artists in France, the field being dominated as it was by the privileged and the conservative who thought that art was the sole property of the upper echelons of society and that common folk were inherently incapable of appreciating it.

Theodorus struggles to bring works which appeal to the hard-working masses into the limelight and usher in a new era. Central to his ambitions is his lifelong desire to see his brother Vincent's "god-given gift" finally being acknowledged by the world.