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The heirs of a Jewish couple have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh oil painting was seized by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

As stated in the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their dwelling in the German city of Munich just before the Second World War.

The complaint states that the museum, which obtained the artwork in the 1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was likely confiscated property. The heirs are now demanding the return of the painting along with compensation.

In the decades since World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through New York, states the court document.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family escaped from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government designated the painting as property of the state and banned the family from bringing it with them. Once approved from a Nazi official, a representative assigned by the authorities sold the artwork on the family's behalf. However, the funds from the auction were deposited in a frozen account, which the regime later confiscated.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or soon after, the canvas arrived in the United States and was acquired by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Eventually, it was sold through a art dealer to the Met, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his wife, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a museum in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently shown.

Court Allegations

The institution and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are listed as respondents. The filing states that the family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and whereabouts from the family.

Even now, the foundation continue to obscure how and when the institution came into ownership of the Painting; the couple's ownership of the Painting from several years; and the facts that the Third Reich stole the canvas from the heirs, coerced the Sterns into disposing of it via a regime representative, and seized the money of the sale.

Prior Cases

The family initiated a comparable case in California in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The complaint states that the museum's acquisition of the piece was approved by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the Painting had almost certainly been stolen by the Nazis.

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

A representative stated: At no time during the museum's possession of the artwork was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – actually, that data did not become known until several decades after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – namely, it was noted that the piece was considered to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the same type in the holdings. While the museum upholds its view that this piece entered the collection and was removed properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the Met is open to and will review any new information that comes to light.

BEG's Response

William Charron representing BEG said: BEG is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The effort to sue and smear the organization and the family in the US upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are certain it will be a third time.