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The family members of a Jewish couple have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, asserting that a Van Gogh art piece was looted by the Third Reich.

Case History

As stated in the legal filing, the Stern couple purchased the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. The following year, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in the German city of Munich just before World War II.

The legal action states that the museum, which acquired the artwork in the mid-1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was probably looted property. The family are now seeking the return of the artwork along with financial restitution.

Since the end of WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the court document.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from their Munich home to California in 1936 with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Yet, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the regime classified the artwork as German cultural property and prohibited the couple from bringing it with them. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a trustee designated by the regime auctioned the piece on the Sterns' behalf. However, the funds from the transaction were deposited in a blocked account, which the authorities later seized.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or not long after, the artwork was brought to the United States and was bought by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was sold through a art dealer to the Met, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner Basil Goulandris and his partner, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which operates a museum in Athens where the artwork is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

BEG and a living relative of the magnate are named as defendants. The filing claims that the defendants and its affiliates have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and whereabouts from the plaintiffs.

Currently, the defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the institution came into control of the piece; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from 1935 to 1938; and the reality that the regime looted the Painting from the family, coerced the couple into parting with it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the proceeds of the transaction.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs initiated a comparable case in the state of California in 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also denied in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit argues that the institution's buying of the painting was authorized by a curator, the Met's authority of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi art looting. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the Painting had probably been looted by Nazis.

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

A representative remarked: At no time during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the family – in fact, that data did not become available until many years after the painting left the institution's holdings.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the institution's rigorous standards for removal from collection – specifically, it was documented that the artwork was considered to be of inferior standard than other works of the same type in the collection. Although the institution upholds its position that this piece entered the holdings and was sold legally and well within all rules and regulations, the Met is open to and will review any additional details that comes to light.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel on behalf of the Goulandris Foundation said: BEG is a renowned institution in Greece. The action to sue and smear the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, twice. We are certain it will be a third time.