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The family members of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh oil painting was stolen by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

As stated in the lawsuit, the Stern couple acquired the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in Munich on the eve of WWII.

The complaint states that the institution, which obtained the painting in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly confiscated property. The descendants are now seeking the restitution of the canvas along with financial restitution.

Since the end of World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, acquired and disposed of in and through the city of New York, claims the court document.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities classified the masterpiece as property of the state and forbade the couple from bringing it with them. Following authorization from a regime representative, a representative appointed by the Nazis sold the painting on the couple's behalf. But, the proceeds from the transaction were held in a blocked account, which the regime later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

In 1948, or not long after, the canvas arrived in New York and was purchased by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then passed it on to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Greek couple set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a museum in the Greek capital where the painting is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

The foundation and a surviving nephew of the magnate are identified in the suit. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the artwork's provenance and location from the family.

Even now, the defendants continue to obscure the manner and time the institution came into ownership of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from several years; and the facts that the Nazis stole the canvas from the Stern family, pressured the couple into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the funds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The Stern heirs initiated a similar complaint in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in the following years. An appeal was also rejected in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The legal action contends that the Met's purchase of the artwork was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European paintings and a leading authority on Nazi art looting. Rousseau and the Met were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had likely been looted by the regime.

The museum issued a statement that it takes seriously its historical dedication to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A representative commented: At no time during the museum's possession of the artwork was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the family – in fact, that information did not become accessible until a long time after the artwork left the institution's holdings.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the museum's strict criteria for disposal – in particular, it was noted that the work was deemed to be of lesser quality than other works of the similar kind in the holdings. Although The Met upholds its stance that this artwork entered the collection and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all guidelines and policies, the museum is open to and will review any further evidence that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel acting for the Goulandris Foundation said: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in the Greek capital. The action to sue and smear the organization and the defendants in the United States upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was earlier rejected, twice. We are convinced it will be a third time.