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The heirs of a Jewish couple have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a the Dutch artist art piece was seized by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the piece, titled Gathering Olives, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich, Germany on the eve of the Second World War.

The complaint states that the Met, which acquired the painting in the 1950s for a significant sum, must have realized it was probably confiscated property. The descendants are now seeking the return of the painting along with financial restitution.

Following the war, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through New York, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their large family due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the renowned Dutch in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities classified the artwork as German cultural property and forbade the Sterns from exporting it. Following authorization from a Nazi official, a representative appointed by the regime sold the artwork on the couple's behalf. Yet, the money from the auction were deposited in a frozen account, which the regime later took.

Subsequent Ownership

In 1948, or not long after, the artwork was brought to NYC and was purchased by Vincent Astor, one of America's wealthiest people. Eventually, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his partner, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a gallery in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently exhibited.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a family member of the magnate are identified in the suit. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants and its related entities have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and location from the family.

Currently, the foundation continue to conceal the manner and time the foundation came into ownership of the Painting; the family's possession of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Nazis confiscated the Painting from the Stern family, forced the family into parting with it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the funds of the transaction.

Prior Cases

The family filed a comparable case in the state of California in 2022, but it was dismissed in the following years. An further action was also rejected in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The legal action argues that the institution's buying of the piece was sanctioned by a curator, the institution's specialist of European art and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert must have known that the artwork had almost certainly been looted by the Nazis.

The institution responded that it prioritizes its historical dedication to handle Nazi-era claims.

A representative remarked: At no time during the museum's possession of the painting was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the family – in fact, that information did not become known until a long time after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – namely, it was noted that the artwork was judged to be of inferior standard than other pieces of the similar kind in the holdings. While the museum upholds its stance that this work entered the inventory and was deaccessioned properly and well within all rules and regulations, the institution invites and will examine any additional details that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron on behalf of BEG said: The institution is a renowned institution in Athens. The action to sue and smear the institution and the defendants in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, twice. We are convinced it will be once more.