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The heirs of a Jewish spouses have brought a case against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a Van Gogh canvas was looted by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

As stated in the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the painting, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. The following year, they were forced to flee their home in Munich on the eve of the Second World War.

The legal action states that the Met, which purchased the masterpiece in 1956 for a significant sum, should have known it was almost certainly looted property. The descendants are now seeking the repatriation of the canvas along with compensation.

In the decades since World War II, this plundered piece has been frequently and covertly traded, acquired and disposed of in and through NYC, alleges the court document.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from Munich to California in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, Nazi authorities designated the painting as property of the state and prohibited the couple from bringing it with them. Once approved from a regime representative, a trustee designated by the Nazis sold the piece on the family's behalf. But, the funds from the transaction were placed in a frozen account, which the Nazis later took.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or not long after, the artwork entered the United States and was bought by a wealthy American, one of America's wealthiest people. Eventually, it was transferred through a art dealer to the Met, which then passed it on to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair founded the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a gallery in the Greek capital where the masterpiece is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

BEG and a living relative of the magnate are identified in the suit. The lawsuit claims that the defendants and its affiliates have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and whereabouts from the heirs.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal how and when the BEG came into ownership of the Painting; the family's possession of the Painting from several years; and the truth that the Third Reich looted the canvas from the Stern family, forced the family into parting with it via a trustee, and seized the money of the transaction.

Prior Cases

The family initiated a similar complaint in California in recently, but it was rejected in the following years. An further action was also rejected in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The legal action argues that the institution's buying of the painting was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had almost certainly been seized by the Nazis.

The Met said in a statement that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to resolve issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson remarked: At no time during the institution's custody of the piece was there any record that it had previously been owned to the heirs – in fact, that knowledge did not become known until many years after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for disposal – in particular, it was documented that the artwork was considered to be of lesser quality than other pieces of the similar kind in the inventory. While the institution maintains its stance that this work entered the collection and was sold lawfully and well within all standards and procedures, the museum welcomes and will consider any new information that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer on behalf of BEG commented: BEG is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The action to litigate and defame the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be again.