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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a the Dutch artist oil painting was looted by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the legal filing, the Stern couple acquired the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. A year after, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich, Germany just before the Second World War.

The suit states that the Met, which acquired the artwork in 1956 for a significant sum, must have realized it was almost certainly looted property. The family are now seeking the repatriation of the painting along with financial restitution.

Following WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through NYC, claims the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from the city of Munich to California in the late 1930s with their large family due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were prevented from taking the painting, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the regime designated the masterpiece as German cultural property and banned the couple from bringing it with them. Once approved from a regime representative, a agent assigned by the regime sold the piece on the couple's behalf. However, the funds from the transaction were held in a restricted account, which the regime later took.

Later Transactions

Around 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered NYC and was purchased by Vincent Astor, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was sold through a gallery to the museum, which then passed it on to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a gallery in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

BEG and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The lawsuit states that the Goulandris family and its associated organizations have concealed and disguised the masterpiece's history and current place from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the defendants continue to obscure the manner and time the institution came into ownership of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the reality that the Nazis confiscated the artwork from the family, forced the family into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and seized the proceeds of the deal.

Earlier Lawsuits

The Stern heirs submitted a related lawsuit in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in recently.

Institution's Statement

The complaint states that the Met's purchase of the piece was sanctioned by a curator, the institution's specialist of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had probably been looted by Nazis.

The Met responded that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to resolve claims from the Nazi period.

A representative remarked: At no time during The Met's ownership of the painting was there any documentation that it had earlier been possessed to the family – actually, that knowledge did not become known until many years after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for removal from collection – namely, it was documented that the artwork was judged to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the comparable nature in the inventory. While The Met upholds its stance that this artwork entered the inventory and was deaccessioned legally and well within all standards and procedures, the Met welcomes and will consider any additional details that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel acting for the Goulandris Foundation commented: The institution is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The attempt to litigate and defame the Foundation and the Goulandris family in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, twice. We are confident it will be a third time.