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The family members of a Jewish couple have brought a case against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was looted by the Third Reich.

Case History

According to the court documents, the Stern couple bought the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in 1935. A year after, they were obliged to escape their dwelling in Munich on the eve of the Second World War.

The suit argues that the museum, which obtained the painting in 1956 for $125,000, must have realized it was probably stolen property. The descendants are now requesting the return of the artwork along with damages.

Following WWII, this stolen artwork has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the lawsuit.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their large family due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were prevented from taking the artwork, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the regime classified the artwork as a German cultural asset and forbade the family from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a regime representative, a trustee assigned by the regime sold the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the sale were placed in a restricted account, which the regime later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or not long after, the canvas entered New York and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a art dealer to the museum, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner Goulandris and his wife, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the BEG in the late 1970s, which manages a gallery in the Greek capital where the painting is currently shown.

Legal Arguments

The institution and a living relative of Goulandris are listed as respondents. The lawsuit states that the Goulandris family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and current place from the family.

Currently, the foundation continue to hide the circumstances the institution came into control of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the regime looted the Painting from the heirs, pressured the couple into selling it via a regime representative, and confiscated the proceeds of the transaction.

Prior Cases

The descendants filed a comparable case in CA in 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit states that the institution's buying of the artwork was sanctioned by a curator, the Met's authority of European paintings and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had almost certainly been looted by Nazis.

The museum said in a statement that it is committed to its historical dedication to handle issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson commented: Not once during the museum's possession of the artwork was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the family – in fact, that data did not become accessible until many years after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the museum's strict criteria for removal from collection – namely, it was documented that the piece was deemed to be of lesser quality than other works of the same type in the holdings. Although the museum respectfully stands by its position that this work entered the holdings and was removed properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution is open to and will review any further evidence that emerges.

Foundation's Defense

William Charron on behalf of the Goulandris Foundation stated: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The effort to litigate and defame the institution and the Goulandris family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, twice. We are certain it will be again.