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The family members of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against The Met, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was looted by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

According to the court documents, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the painting, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their residence in Munich, Germany just before the Second World War.

The complaint states that the Met, which obtained the masterpiece in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was likely looted property. The family are now demanding the return of the artwork along with damages.

Following World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, bought and sold in and through New York, states the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns fled from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. However, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before they left, Nazi authorities declared the painting as property of the state and forbade the couple from taking it abroad. Once approved from a Nazi official, a trustee assigned by the Nazis auctioned the painting on the couple's behalf. But, the proceeds from the sale were deposited in a frozen account, which the Nazis later took.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or not long after, the canvas was brought to the United States and was acquired by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Eventually, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the institution, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his wife, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair founded the BEG in 1979, which operates a institution in Athens where the artwork is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

The foundation and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are listed as respondents. The lawsuit alleges that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have covered up the masterpiece's history and location from the heirs.

To this day, the defendants continue to hide the manner and time the BEG came into control of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the reality that the regime stole the canvas from the Stern family, pressured the couple into parting with it via a trustee, and confiscated the money of the sale.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs filed a similar complaint in the state of California in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also dismissed in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit contends that the Met's purchase of the painting was authorized by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the Painting had likely been seized by the Nazis.

The museum responded that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to address issues related to WWII.

A representative stated: At no time during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any evidence that it had previously been owned to the family – actually, that information did not become known until a long time after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – namely, it was noted that the work was deemed to be of lesser quality than other pieces of the comparable nature in the holdings. While the museum upholds its position that this artwork entered the collection and was sold lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the museum is open to and will review any further evidence that emerges.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel representing BEG said: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in the Greek capital. The attempt to take legal action against the organization and the family in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be again.