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The heirs of a Jewish couple have brought a case against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, alleging that a Van Gogh oil painting was seized by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, the Stern couple bought the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. The following year, they were forced to flee their dwelling in the German city of Munich on the eve of World War II.

The suit contends that the Met, which obtained the artwork in the 1950s for a significant sum, ought to have been aware it was probably stolen property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the painting along with financial restitution.

In the decades since World War II, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through New York, alleges the legal filing.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from their Munich home to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. However, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the Nazi government declared the masterpiece as German cultural property and prohibited the family from bringing it with them. Once approved from a regime representative, a agent designated by the authorities sold the piece on the couple's behalf. Yet, the funds from the sale were deposited in a restricted account, which the authorities later took.

Post-War History

Around 1948, or soon after, the artwork arrived in the United States and was bought by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Subsequently, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his wife, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair founded the BEG in the late 1970s, which runs a museum in Athens where the masterpiece is currently exhibited.

Claims and Defenses

The foundation and a surviving nephew of the magnate are named as defendants. The legal action states that the defendants and its associated organizations have covered up the painting's ownership and location from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the defendants continue to hide the circumstances the foundation came into possession of the piece; the couple's ownership of the Painting from several years; and the truth that the Nazis looted the artwork from the family, forced the couple into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the money of the transaction.

Previous Legal Action

The family submitted a related lawsuit in California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An further action was also dismissed in recently.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit argues that the institution's buying of the piece was approved by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of Old Masters and a leading authority on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum must have known that the artwork had almost certainly been seized by Nazis.

The Met said in a statement that it takes seriously its longstanding commitment to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A representative stated: At no time during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the heirs – indeed, that data did not become known until a long time after the painting left the institution's holdings.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – in particular, it was recorded that the artwork was considered to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the similar kind in the collection. While the institution upholds its stance that this work entered the collection and was sold lawfully and well within all standards and procedures, the institution welcomes and will consider any new information that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron acting for BEG stated: BEG is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The attempt to sue and smear the organization and the Goulandris family in the America upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are confident it will be once more.