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The family members of a Jewish couple have filed a lawsuit against The Met, alleging that a Van Gogh canvas was looted by Nazi forces.

Case History

According to the legal filing, the Stern couple acquired the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in the mid-1930s. The following year, they were obliged to escape their residence in Munich, Germany on the eve of World War II.

The suit argues that the museum, which purchased the masterpiece in 1956 for $125,000, should have known it was probably stolen property. The descendants are now demanding the restitution of the painting along with damages.

Since the end of WWII, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the court document.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from their Munich home to America in 1936 with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. However, they were barred from transporting the painting, which was produced by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before they left, Nazi authorities declared the painting as a German cultural asset and forbade the couple from taking it abroad. Once approved from a regime representative, a agent assigned by the authorities disposed of the painting on the family's behalf. Yet, the funds from the sale were placed in a blocked account, which the authorities later took.

Post-War History

In 1948, or not long after, the canvas entered the United States and was purchased by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was sold through a art dealer to the Met, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate the magnate and his wife, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair set up the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a institution in the Greek capital where the painting is currently exhibited.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a surviving nephew of the magnate are identified in the suit. The filing claims that the defendants and its affiliates have covered up the masterpiece's history and current place from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the Goulandris Defendants continue to obscure the manner and time the institution came into ownership of the piece; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the truth that the Third Reich confiscated the artwork from the Stern family, forced the couple into parting with it via a regime representative, and confiscated the funds of the transaction.

Earlier Lawsuits

The descendants submitted a similar complaint in CA in the year 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also denied in recently.

The Met's Position

The complaint states that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum must have known that the masterpiece had almost certainly been looted by Nazis.

The museum issued a statement that it prioritizes its historical dedication to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson stated: Not once during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the heirs – indeed, that information did not become known until many years after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of Olive Picking met the museum's strict criteria for removal from collection – specifically, it was recorded that the piece was considered to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the comparable nature in the collection. While The Met upholds its view that this piece entered the holdings and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the institution invites and will examine any new information that is discovered.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel representing the Goulandris Foundation commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a renowned institution in Greece. The effort to sue and smear the organization and the Goulandris family in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are certain it will be again.