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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 art piece was seized by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

According to the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern purchased the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. The following year, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich, Germany just before the Second World War.

The complaint states that the museum, which obtained the artwork in the 1950s for a significant sum, must have realized it was probably looted property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the canvas along with damages.

Following WWII, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, states the court document.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from their Munich home to California in 1936 with their large family due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the regime designated the artwork as property of the state and prohibited the couple from exporting it. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a representative designated by the Nazis sold the artwork on the family's behalf. Yet, the money from the auction were deposited in a frozen account, which the authorities later took.

Subsequent Ownership

In 1948, or soon after, the painting arrived in the United States and was purchased by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the institution, which then passed it on to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his partner, Elise, in 1972.

The Greek couple founded the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a museum in Athens where the painting is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

The institution and a family member of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing alleges that the family and its associated organizations have covered up the painting's ownership and location from the heirs.

Currently, the defendants continue to conceal the manner and time the BEG came into control of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from 1935 to 1938; and the facts that the Third Reich stole the canvas from the heirs, pressured the couple into disposing of it via a regime representative, and seized the proceeds of the transaction.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs filed a comparable case in the state of California in recently, but it was rejected in 2024. An appeal was also denied in spring 2025.

Museum's Response

The legal action argues that the institution's buying of the piece was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European paintings and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the artwork had almost certainly been looted by the Nazis.

The museum said in a statement that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to handle Nazi-era claims.

An official stated: At no time during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any record that it had once belonged to the family – indeed, that information did not become known until many years after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of Olive Picking met the museum's strict criteria for disposal – specifically, it was noted that the piece was judged to be of lesser quality than additional artworks of the comparable nature in the collection. While the museum upholds its position that this piece entered the holdings and was sold properly and well within all rules and regulations, the Met welcomes and will consider any additional details that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel representing the foundation said: BEG is a renowned institution in Athens. The effort to litigate and defame the organization and the family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be a third time.