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The descendants of a Jewish couple have initiated legal proceedings against The Met, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh art piece was stolen by the Nazis.

Case History

According to the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Picking, in 1935. The following year, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in Munich, Germany prior to the Second World War.

The suit states that the Met, which obtained the artwork in the 1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly looted property. The family are now demanding the return of the painting along with damages.

Following WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through the city of New York, claims the legal filing.

Forced Emigration

The Stern family fled from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their large family due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was created by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government classified the masterpiece as German cultural property and forbade the Sterns from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a Nazi official, a agent designated by the regime sold the piece on the family's behalf. But, the funds from the transaction were held in a blocked account, which the Nazis later took.

Subsequent Ownership

In 1948, or soon after, the artwork entered New York and was acquired by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the institution, which then passed it on to prominent shipowner Basil Goulandris and his partner, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a gallery in Athens where the artwork is currently shown.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a surviving nephew of the magnate are listed as respondents. The legal action claims that the Goulandris family and its related entities have covered up the artwork's provenance and whereabouts from the heirs.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to hide the manner and time the institution came into control of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the artwork from several years; and the truth that the Nazis stole the Painting from the Stern family, coerced the couple into parting with it via a regime representative, and took the money of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The Stern heirs filed a comparable case in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An appeal was also rejected in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The lawsuit states that the Met's purchase of the piece was approved by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum knew or should have known that the masterpiece had almost certainly been seized by Nazis.

The institution responded that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson stated: Not once during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any record that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – actually, that information did not become accessible until several decades after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the institution's rigorous standards for removal from collection – specifically, it was documented that the work was considered to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the comparable nature in the inventory. While The Met maintains its position that this artwork entered the holdings and was sold lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the institution welcomes and will consider any additional details that comes to light.

BEG's Response

A lawyer on behalf of the foundation stated: The institution is a renowned institution in Greece. The attempt to litigate and defame the Foundation and the family in the United States upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are certain it will be again.