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The heirs of a Jewish couple have initiated legal proceedings against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming that a the Dutch artist art piece was stolen by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in 1935. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their residence in Munich, Germany just before WWII.

The legal action contends that the institution, which purchased the artwork in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was likely looted property. The heirs are now demanding the repatriation of the artwork along with financial restitution.

Following the war, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the lawsuit.

Forced Emigration

The Stern family escaped from Munich to the United States in the late 1930s with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before they left, the Nazi government classified the painting as German cultural property and prohibited the family from exporting it. Once approved from a regime representative, a agent designated by the Nazis auctioned the piece on the couple's behalf. Yet, the funds from the transaction were placed in a frozen account, which the regime later confiscated.

Post-War History

In 1948, or shortly after, the canvas entered NYC and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a institution in the Greek capital where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Court Allegations

The institution and a living relative of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The lawsuit claims that the family and its affiliates have covered up the artwork's provenance and current place from the family.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to obscure the circumstances the foundation came into control of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the facts that the Nazis confiscated the Painting from the family, pressured the family into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the proceeds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family filed a similar complaint in CA in recently, but it was thrown out in the following years. An further action was also denied in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The legal action argues that the museum's acquisition of the painting was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert must have known that the Painting had almost certainly been looted by the Nazis.

The museum responded that it is committed to its historical dedication to handle issues related to WWII.

A representative stated: Never during the institution's custody of the piece was there any documentation that it had earlier been possessed to the heirs – in fact, that knowledge did not become available until a long time after the masterpiece left the Met's possession.

The Met's sale of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for disposal – in particular, it was recorded that the artwork was deemed to be of lesser quality than other pieces of the comparable nature in the inventory. Although the institution upholds its position that this artwork entered the holdings and was removed properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the museum invites and will examine any new information that emerges.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel representing the Goulandris Foundation commented: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The action to take legal action against the institution and the family in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, multiple times. We are confident it will be once more.