🔗 Share this article

The descendants of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against The Met, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was looted by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

According to the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their dwelling in the German city of Munich on the eve of WWII.

The complaint contends that the institution, which acquired the artwork in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was almost certainly stolen property. The family are now demanding the return of the canvas along with damages.

Since the end of WWII, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, acquired and disposed of in and through NYC, states the court document.

Forced Emigration

The Sterns departed from their Munich home to California in 1936 with their six children due to Nazi persecution. However, they were unable to bring the artwork, which was created by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the regime classified the painting as German cultural property and forbade the family from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a Third Reich agent, a agent appointed by the regime auctioned the piece on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the sale were placed in a restricted account, which the regime later confiscated.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or soon after, the painting was brought to the United States and was acquired by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was exchanged through a gallery to the Met, which then passed it on to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Greek couple founded the BEG in 1979, which runs a museum in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently shown.

Legal Arguments

The foundation and a surviving nephew of the magnate are listed as respondents. The filing alleges that the defendants and its associated organizations have covered up the painting's ownership and whereabouts from the family.

Even now, the defendants continue to obscure how and when the BEG came into possession of the Painting; the couple's ownership of the Painting from 1935 to 1938; and the reality that the regime stole the Painting from the Stern family, forced the family into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the money of the deal.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs initiated a related lawsuit in CA in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint states that the museum's acquisition of the piece was approved by a curator, the museum's curator of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the masterpiece had probably been stolen by the Nazis.

The institution issued a statement that it is committed to its historical dedication to handle Nazi-era claims.

An official stated: At no time during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the heirs – in fact, that knowledge did not become accessible until several decades after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for disposal – namely, it was documented that the work was judged to be of lower caliber than other works of the comparable nature in the collection. While the institution upholds its view that this piece entered the inventory and was deaccessioned properly and well within all rules and regulations, the Met welcomes and will consider any further evidence that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron representing the foundation stated: BEG is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The action to take legal action against the institution and the defendants in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be again.