🔗 Share this article

The family members of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming that a Van Gogh oil painting was stolen by the Nazis.

Historical Background

Per the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their home in the German city of Munich prior to World War II.

The suit argues that the Met, which obtained the masterpiece in the 1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was likely confiscated property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the artwork along with damages.

Since the end of World War II, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, states the court document.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from their Munich home to America in the late 1930s with their offspring due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Yet, they were barred from transporting the painting, which was produced by the renowned Dutch in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the Nazi government declared the artwork as property of the state and banned the family from bringing it with them. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a representative designated by the regime auctioned the painting on the Sterns' behalf. But, the proceeds from the transaction were held in a restricted account, which the Nazis later took.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or shortly after, the painting arrived in New York and was purchased by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Eventually, it was exchanged through a gallery to the Met, which then passed it on to Greek shipping magnate the magnate and his wife, Elise, in 1972.

The Greek couple founded the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a gallery in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

The institution and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The lawsuit states that the family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and current place from the heirs.

Currently, the defendants continue to hide the manner and time the foundation came into possession of the Painting; the family's possession of the Painting from several years; and the facts that the regime confiscated the artwork from the heirs, coerced the Sterns into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and seized the proceeds of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs initiated a similar complaint in California in recently, but it was thrown out in the following years. An legal challenge was also denied in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint contends that the institution's buying of the piece was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the museum's curator of European paintings and a renowned specialist on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had probably been stolen by the Nazis.

The Met issued a statement that it prioritizes its historical dedication to resolve issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson commented: Never during the institution's custody of the painting was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the Stern family – actually, that information did not become known until many years after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of Olive Picking met the institution's rigorous standards for removal from collection – in particular, it was noted that the work was judged to be of inferior standard than other works of the comparable nature in the holdings. Even though the museum maintains its stance that this work entered the collection and was deaccessioned legally and well within all rules and regulations, the institution invites and will examine any new information that emerges.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel on behalf of the Goulandris Foundation stated: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The effort to take legal action against the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, twice. We are convinced it will be again.