🔗 Share this article

The heirs of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming that a the Dutch artist canvas was seized by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

Per the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the painting, titled Olive Picking, in 1935. A year after, they were forced to flee their home in Munich prior to World War II.

The suit contends that the museum, which acquired the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was almost certainly stolen property. The descendants are now requesting the restitution of the artwork along with damages.

Since the end of World War II, this stolen artwork has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family fled from their Munich home to America in 1936 with their six children due to Nazi persecution. Yet, 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 property of the state and prohibited the couple from exporting it. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a representative designated by the regime sold the piece on the couple's behalf. Yet, the funds from the auction were held in a restricted account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Later Transactions

Around 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered NYC and was acquired by a prominent figure, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was exchanged through a art dealer to the institution, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a institution in the Greek capital where the masterpiece is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

BEG and a family member of the magnate are listed as respondents. The filing claims that the Goulandris family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and location from the family.

Even now, the Goulandris Defendants continue to hide how and when the institution came into control of the piece; the couple's ownership of the artwork from the mid-1930s; and the facts that the Nazis looted the artwork from the heirs, pressured the family into parting with it via a trustee, and took the funds of the transaction.

Prior Cases

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

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit states that the Met's purchase of the piece was approved by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the museum's curator of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi art looting. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the Painting had probably been seized by Nazis.

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

A representative stated: Never during the institution's custody of the piece was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the family – in fact, that data did not become available until many years after the painting left the institution's holdings.

The Met's sale of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for disposal – namely, it was recorded that the piece was considered to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the comparable nature in the collection. Although the institution maintains its stance that this artwork entered the collection and was deaccessioned legally and well within all rules and regulations, the Met welcomes and will consider any additional details that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel representing the foundation stated: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The attempt to litigate and defame the organization and the defendants in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, multiple times. We are convinced it will be again.