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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, alleging that a Van Gogh art piece was looted by the Nazis.

Case History

As stated in the lawsuit, the Stern couple acquired the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. The following year, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich, Germany prior to the Second World War.

The legal action states that the Met, which purchased the painting in the 1950s for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was likely looted property. The descendants are now seeking the restitution of the artwork along with damages.

Following WWII, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through NYC, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government designated the painting as a German cultural asset and banned the Sterns from taking it abroad. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a agent assigned by the regime disposed of the painting on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the transaction were deposited in a frozen account, which the regime later confiscated.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or soon after, the painting entered New York and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was exchanged through a art dealer to the Met, which then sold it to prominent shipowner Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in the early 1970s.

Basil and Elise set up the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which manages a museum in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The institution and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The lawsuit states that the defendants and its associated organizations have covered up the artwork's provenance and current place from the heirs.

Even now, the Goulandris Defendants continue to obscure how and when the BEG came into ownership of the piece; the family's possession of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the regime stole the canvas from the family, forced the Sterns into selling it via a trustee, and seized the funds of the sale.

Previous Legal Action

The descendants initiated a comparable case in the state of California in recently, but it was thrown out in 2024. An appeal was also rejected in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit states that the Met's purchase of the artwork was approved by the museum's expert, the Met's authority of European art and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had almost certainly been looted by the Nazis.

The Met said in a statement that it prioritizes its ongoing pledge to handle issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson remarked: At no time during the institution's custody of the painting was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the family – actually, that knowledge did not become accessible until many years after the masterpiece left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – specifically, it was noted that the piece was considered to be of lesser quality than other works of the comparable nature in the collection. While the museum maintains its position that this work entered the inventory and was deaccessioned properly and well within all standards and procedures, the institution invites and will examine any additional details that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer representing the foundation stated: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The attempt to litigate and defame the institution and the Goulandris family in the America upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be again.