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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, asserting that a Van Gogh art piece was seized by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

Per the legal filing, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the artwork, titled Gathering Olives, in 1935. A year after, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich just before World War II.

The legal action states that the institution, which obtained the artwork in 1956 for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was probably looted property. The heirs are now requesting the repatriation of the canvas along with damages.

In the decades since World War II, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, bought and sold in and through NYC, alleges the legal filing.

Family's Flight

The Sterns fled from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was produced by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities designated the masterpiece as a German cultural asset and forbade the couple from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a representative assigned by the authorities sold the painting on the family's behalf. But, the funds from the auction were held in a blocked account, which the authorities later seized.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or soon after, the artwork was brought to the United States and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a art dealer to the Met, which then passed it on to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Greek couple established the BEG in 1979, which runs a museum in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The institution and a family member of Goulandris are listed as respondents. The filing states that the family and its associated organizations have covered up the painting's ownership and current place from the plaintiffs.

Currently, the foundation continue to conceal the circumstances the institution came into possession of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the facts that the regime confiscated the Painting from the family, pressured the family into disposing of it via a regime representative, and confiscated the proceeds of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs filed a related lawsuit in CA in recently, but it was dismissed in the following years. An appeal was also denied in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint states that the institution's buying of the piece was sanctioned by a curator, the museum's curator of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the Painting had probably been stolen by the regime.

The museum issued a statement that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to resolve claims from the Nazi period.

An official remarked: Never during the museum's possession of the artwork was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the Stern family – actually, that data did not become available until many years after the masterpiece left the Met's possession.

The Met's sale of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for disposal – namely, it was recorded that the artwork was considered to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the inventory. Even though The Met respectfully stands by its stance that this piece entered the inventory and was removed properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution invites and will examine any new information that emerges.

Foundation's Defense

A lawyer representing BEG stated: The Goulandris Foundation is a renowned institution in the Greek capital. The effort to sue and smear the organization and the defendants in the America upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are certain it will be once more.