Paul Gauguin was another prominent post-impressionist artist, and Van Gogh was really, really enamored with him. In all fairness, he looked like this:
Gogh convinced Gauguin to come visit and stay in his Yellow House, "hoping for friendship"- and when Gauguin agreed, Gogh went out and bought two beds for the house (previously pretty sparse, and just used as studio space).
Gauguin arrived September 17th of 1888, and when he agreed to live and work there for a while, Van Gogh started work on his most ambitious project yet: Décoration for the Yellow House, about 26 of his most well-known paintings, including the Sunflowers, The Night Cafe, and Starry Night Over the Rhone; all meant to decorate the Yellow House they were living in together.
Starry Night Over the Rhon, (September 1888)
So this dude was pining over Gauguin before he even showed up, begged him to move in, bought him a bed just so he could live here, and then embarked on his most ambitious painting project ever just to decorate their shared living space. I'm not saying a straight man couldn't, but...
Gauguin left the house for a bit after his stay, but "after much pleading from Gogh", he returned October 23rd to stay longer. They lived together, painted together, and traveled together- and the stay was apparently indefinite. As in, Gauguin had sort of just... moved in with him.
In December of 1888, their relationship began to deteriorate.
Van Gogh's mental health struggles are pretty well-known; he likely struggled with depression and anxiety, among other things. Gogh was fairly insecure and in need of reassurance that Gauguin "saw him as an equal", while Gauguin was self-assured, assertive, and apparently didn't give Gogh what he needed.
In December, Gogh likely realized that Gauguin was planning to leave the Yellow House- and, subsequently, him. Heavy rain kept the two men shut inside together for the following days, and when Gauguin left the house on December 23rd, Gogh followed him outside to argue- with a razor in hand, which he threatened to use on himself if Gauguin didn't come back (all according to Gauiguin's account of events).
Gauguin left, and Gogh went home alone. He was assaulted by auditory hallucinations, and attempted to cut his ear off- likely in an attempt to make them stop.
Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear, 1889
Gogh was delivered to the hospital, and his ear wound treated. He asked for Gauguin constantly. Gauguin told the police attending the case, "be kind enough, Monsieur, to awaken this man with great care, and if he asks for me tell him I have left for Paris; the sight of me might prove fatal for him." [x] He left Arlen without seeing Gogh again.
They continued to send letters to each other; in 1890, Gauguin suggested they form a studio together, but Gogh likely passed away before they could.
But like, was he really gay?
Van Gogh did try to find a wife, but seemed unable to. He gave up and focused on art after a while, and apparently frequented brothels as well. Despite all of this, there's no hard evidence he ever had sex with any women.
It's widely accepted that he did have romantic relationships with women; his letters also indicate that his relationship with Gaugin very well could have been romantic. A lot of scholars actually agree he was very likely bi!
I personally believe he was definitely interested in men (and Gauguin isn't the only man he's behaved that way toward- he gifted quite a few men with portraits), and I think it's pretty likely he was bi. I also think a lot of his behavior toward women indicates he might just have been repressed and closeted.
Either way, Vincent Van Gogh was almost definitely, for sure, probably 100% absolutely gay.
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