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The heirs of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh oil painting was looted by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the painting, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. The following year, they were obliged to escape their residence in Munich just before the Second World War.

The complaint contends that the Met, which acquired the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for a significant sum, ought to have been aware it was likely confiscated property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the artwork along with compensation.

Since the end of World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased and sold in and through NYC, claims the legal filing.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from their Munich home to California in the late 1930s with their large family due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities classified the painting as a German cultural asset and forbade the couple from exporting it. Following authorization from a regime representative, a representative assigned by the authorities auctioned the artwork on the family's behalf. But, the proceeds from the sale were deposited in a blocked account, which the regime later seized.

Later Transactions

Around 1948, or soon after, the canvas arrived in the United States and was purchased by a prominent figure, a member of the Astor family. Eventually, it was transferred through a art dealer to the institution, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner Goulandris and his partner, Mrs. Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

Basil and Elise founded the BEG in 1979, which manages a institution in the Greek capital where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Court Allegations

The institution and a family member of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The lawsuit states that the family and its affiliates have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and current place from the heirs.

To this day, the foundation continue to conceal the circumstances the institution came into ownership of the piece; the family's possession of the artwork from several years; and the facts that the Nazis looted the Painting from the Stern family, coerced the couple into parting with it via a trustee, and confiscated the proceeds of the sale.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs submitted a similar complaint in the state of California in recently, but it was thrown out in the following years. An appeal was also denied in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint argues that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was authorized by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi art looting. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the masterpiece had almost certainly been looted by the regime.

The museum issued a statement that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to address issues related to WWII.

A representative remarked: Never during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any evidence that it had earlier been possessed to the family – indeed, that knowledge did not become known until a long time after the masterpiece left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the museum's strict criteria for disposal – namely, it was recorded that the work was judged to be of lower caliber than other works of the same type in the collection. Even though The Met maintains its view that this piece entered the inventory and was deaccessioned properly and well within all rules and regulations, the institution invites and will examine any further evidence that emerges.

BEG's Response

William Charron representing the foundation stated: BEG is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The attempt to sue and smear the institution and the Goulandris family in the United States upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be again.