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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a Van Gogh canvas was looted by Nazi forces.

Case History

Per the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the painting, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their dwelling in the German city of Munich prior to WWII.

The complaint states that the museum, which obtained the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for a significant sum, must have realized it was probably stolen property. The descendants are now seeking the return of the artwork along with damages.

Following World War II, this plundered piece has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, states the court document.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family fled from Munich to the United States in the late 1930s with their large family due to Nazi persecution. However, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the regime designated the artwork as a German cultural asset and banned the couple from taking it abroad. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a agent appointed by the Nazis disposed of the painting on the couple's behalf. However, the proceeds from the transaction were placed in a restricted account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or shortly after, the canvas arrived in New York and was acquired by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Eventually, it was transferred through a art dealer to the institution, which then passed it on to prominent shipowner the magnate and his spouse, Elise, in 1972.

The Greek couple founded the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a gallery in the Greek capital where the painting is currently on display.

Claims and Defenses

BEG and a living relative of Goulandris are named as defendants. The lawsuit states that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have covered up the masterpiece's history and whereabouts from the heirs.

Currently, the foundation continue to hide the circumstances the institution came into ownership of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the artwork from several years; and the reality that the regime stole the artwork from the heirs, pressured the Sterns into disposing of it via a regime representative, and seized the funds of the deal.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family filed a comparable case in California in recently, but it was rejected in 2024. An appeal was also dismissed in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The lawsuit states that the museum's acquisition of the painting was authorized by a curator, the institution's specialist of European art and a leading authority on Nazi art looting. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had probably been stolen by Nazis.

The Met said in a statement that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to handle claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson remarked: Never during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any evidence that it had previously been owned to the heirs – indeed, that knowledge did not become available until several decades after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the museum's strict criteria for deaccessioning – in particular, it was noted that the work was deemed to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the collection. Although the museum maintains its view that this artwork entered the inventory and was sold properly and well within all rules and regulations, the Met invites and will examine any new information that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer representing the foundation said: The institution is a highly prestigious organization in Athens. The attempt to litigate and defame the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, twice. We are confident it will be again.