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The family members of a Jewish spouses have brought a case against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was seized by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

According to the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their residence in Munich, Germany just before the Second World War.

The suit argues that the museum, which acquired the artwork in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was probably confiscated property. The heirs are now requesting the return of the canvas along with compensation.

Since the end of the war, this stolen artwork has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family fled from Munich to the United States in the late 1930s with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were prevented from taking the artwork, which was produced by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Prior to their departure, the regime declared the artwork as German cultural property and banned the couple from exporting it. Following authorization from a regime representative, a agent assigned by the Nazis auctioned the piece on the couple's behalf. Yet, the money from the sale were deposited in a restricted account, which the regime later seized.

Subsequent Ownership

In 1948, or shortly after, the artwork entered the United States and was purchased by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the institution, which then passed it on to Greek shipping magnate the magnate and his partner, Elise, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a museum in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently on display.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The legal action states that the family and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the artwork's provenance and whereabouts from the family.

Even now, the defendants continue to obscure how and when the BEG came into possession of the piece; the family's possession of the artwork from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the regime confiscated the artwork from the heirs, coerced the family into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the proceeds of the deal.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs submitted a similar complaint in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An appeal was also dismissed in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit argues that the museum's acquisition of the piece was sanctioned by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of European paintings and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the artwork had almost certainly been seized by Nazis.

The Met issued a statement that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to resolve claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the piece was there any evidence that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – in fact, that information did not become accessible until a long time after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the museum's strict criteria for disposal – in particular, it was recorded that the artwork was judged to be of inferior standard than other works of the comparable nature in the collection. Although The Met upholds its position that this piece entered the inventory and was removed properly and well within all standards and procedures, the institution invites and will examine any further evidence that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel acting for BEG commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The effort to take legal action against the Foundation and the Goulandris family in the America upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was already thrown out, multiple times. We are certain it will be again.