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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was seized by the Third Reich.

Case History

As stated in the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern purchased the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their home in Munich just before WWII.

The legal action contends that the museum, which obtained the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was probably looted property. The descendants are now requesting the return of the artwork along with compensation.

Following WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through NYC, states the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family departed from the city of Munich to California in the late 1930s with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the artwork, which was painted by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government classified the masterpiece as German cultural property and forbade the family from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a Third Reich agent, a representative appointed by the regime disposed of the piece on the family's behalf. Yet, the money from the transaction were placed in a restricted account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or not long after, the canvas was brought to NYC and was purchased by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a art dealer to the institution, which then passed it on to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

Basil and Elise founded the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a museum in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently exhibited.

Legal Arguments

The foundation and a family member of the magnate are listed as respondents. The legal action alleges that the defendants and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and whereabouts from the heirs.

Currently, the defendants continue to conceal how and when the institution came into control of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the Third Reich looted the Painting from the Stern family, pressured the couple into selling it via a regime representative, and seized the proceeds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The Stern heirs submitted a comparable case in the state of California in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also denied in recently.

Museum's Response

The complaint contends that the Met's purchase of the painting was sanctioned by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of European art and a leading authority on Nazi art looting. The institution and its expert must have known that the artwork had probably been looted by Nazis.

The museum responded that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to address Nazi-era claims.

An official remarked: Never during The Met's ownership of the painting was there any record that it had previously been owned to the heirs – indeed, that information did not become accessible until a long time after the painting left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for deaccessioning – namely, it was documented that the piece was judged to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the same type in the inventory. Although the museum respectfully stands by its view that this work entered the collection and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution is open to and will review any new information that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel representing BEG commented: The institution is a renowned institution in Greece. The action to sue and smear the organization and the family in the America upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are certain it will be again.