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The heirs of a Jewish couple have brought a case against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was stolen by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

According to the lawsuit, the Stern couple bought the artwork, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their home in the German city of Munich prior to WWII.

The complaint states that the institution, which purchased the painting in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was probably stolen property. The descendants are now seeking the restitution of the canvas along with damages.

Following World War II, this stolen artwork has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the court document.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were prevented from taking the painting, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government designated the artwork as German cultural property and banned the Sterns from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a Third Reich agent, a trustee assigned by the regime disposed of the artwork on the couple's behalf. Yet, the funds from the transaction were deposited in a blocked account, which the Nazis later took.

Post-War History

By 1948, or not long after, the canvas arrived in the United States and was bought by Vincent Astor, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was transferred through a gallery to the Met, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his partner, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a museum in the Greek capital where the painting is currently on display.

Claims and Defenses

BEG and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The lawsuit claims that the family and its associated organizations have covered up the painting's ownership and current place from the family.

Even now, the Goulandris Defendants continue to obscure how and when the institution came into control of the artwork; the family's possession of the Painting from several years; and the truth that the regime confiscated the artwork from the Stern family, pressured the family into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the proceeds of the sale.

Prior Cases

The descendants submitted a related lawsuit in California in recently, but it was dismissed in the following years. An appeal was also dismissed in spring 2025.

Museum's Response

The legal action states that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was sanctioned by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of European paintings and a leading authority on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert must have known that the Painting had probably been looted by Nazis.

The museum said in a statement that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to handle issues related to WWII.

An official remarked: Never during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the heirs – indeed, that knowledge did not become accessible until many years after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the museum's strict criteria for removal from collection – specifically, it was recorded that the piece was deemed to be of lesser quality than other works of the same type in the inventory. While the museum maintains its position that this work entered the inventory and was removed legally and well within all rules and regulations, the institution is open to and will review any further evidence that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

William Charron acting for the foundation commented: BEG is a renowned institution in the Greek capital. The action to litigate and defame the organization and the Goulandris family in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, twice. We are confident it will be a third time.