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The descendants of a Jewish pair have brought a case against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a Van Gogh art piece was looted by the Third Reich.

Case History

Per the court documents, the Stern couple bought the artwork, titled Gathering Olives, in the year 1935. A year after, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in Munich, Germany just before World War II.

The suit states that the Met, which purchased the painting in 1956 for $125,000, must have realized it was likely looted property. The family are now seeking the repatriation of the canvas along with compensation.

Following World War II, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the legal filing.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their six children due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Prior to their departure, Nazi authorities declared the artwork as property of the state and forbade the family from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a regime representative, a representative assigned by the authorities auctioned the painting on the family's behalf. But, the funds from the sale were placed in a restricted account, which the regime later seized.

Later Transactions

Around 1948, or not long after, the painting was brought to the United States and was bought by a wealthy American, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was exchanged through a art dealer to the institution, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a institution in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently shown.

Court Allegations

The foundation and a family member of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The legal action alleges that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the masterpiece's history and location from the family.

Even now, the defendants continue to obscure the circumstances the BEG came into ownership of the piece; the couple's ownership of the artwork from several years; and the truth that the regime stole the Painting from the Stern family, forced the couple into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the funds of the deal.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs submitted a related lawsuit in the state of California in recently, but it was thrown out in 2024. An legal challenge was also rejected in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The complaint states that the Met's purchase of the artwork was approved by a curator, the museum's curator of European art and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the Painting had probably been stolen by the regime.

The Met said in a statement that it is committed to its ongoing pledge to resolve issues related to WWII.

An official remarked: At no time during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any documentation that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – indeed, that information did not become known until a long time after the artwork left the institution's holdings.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the museum's strict criteria for removal from collection – namely, it was noted that the artwork was judged to be of inferior standard than other pieces of the comparable nature in the inventory. Even though The Met respectfully stands by its position that this artwork entered the inventory and was removed lawfully and well within all standards and procedures, the Met invites and will examine any further evidence that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

A lawyer representing the Goulandris Foundation commented: The institution is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The effort to litigate and defame the institution and the family in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, twice. We are certain it will be once more.