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The family members of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh canvas was stolen by Nazi forces.

Case History

As stated in the lawsuit, the Stern couple bought the painting, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their dwelling in Munich, Germany prior to the Second World War.

The suit contends that the Met, which acquired the artwork in the mid-1950s for $125,000, should have known it was almost certainly looted property. The descendants are now requesting the restitution of the artwork along with damages.

Since the end of the war, this plundered piece has been frequently and covertly traded, acquired and disposed of in and through New York, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from the city of Munich to the United States in 1936 with their large family due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities designated the artwork as a German cultural asset and prohibited the family from bringing it with them. Following authorization from a Third Reich agent, a representative appointed by the authorities disposed of the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. But, the funds from the transaction were held in a restricted account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Post-War History

Around 1948, or not long after, the canvas arrived in New York and was purchased by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his wife, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a gallery in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The foundation 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 artwork's provenance and current place from the family.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to obscure how and when the institution came into control of the Painting; the family's possession of the artwork from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Nazis confiscated the artwork from the Stern family, coerced the couple into parting with it via a regime representative, and took the proceeds of the deal.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs submitted a similar complaint in CA in recently, but it was thrown out in 2024. An appeal was also rejected in May 2025.

Institution's Statement

The complaint contends that the Met's purchase of the piece was approved by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had probably been looted by Nazis.

The institution said in a statement that it takes seriously its historical dedication to address issues related to WWII.

An official stated: Not once during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any evidence that it had earlier been possessed to the family – actually, that data did not become available until several decades after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for disposal – in particular, it was documented that the work was judged to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the same type in the holdings. Even though the museum respectfully stands by its view that this piece entered the inventory and was deaccessioned legally and well within all standards and procedures, the Met is open to and will review any additional details that emerges.

Foundation's Defense

A lawyer on behalf of the foundation said: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in Athens. The attempt to litigate and defame the institution and the Goulandris family in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are confident it will be once more.