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The heirs of a Jewish spouses have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, claiming that a Van Gogh oil painting was seized by the Third Reich.

Case History

As stated in the court documents, the Stern couple acquired the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their residence in the German city of Munich on the eve of the Second World War.

The legal action contends that the Met, which purchased the masterpiece in 1956 for a significant sum, must have realized it was almost certainly stolen property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the artwork along with damages.

In the decades since World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, bought and sold in and through NYC, states the court document.

Family's Flight

The Sterns fled from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their large family due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Yet, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities classified the masterpiece as a German cultural asset and prohibited the family from exporting it. After obtaining permission from a regime representative, a trustee designated by the regime auctioned the piece on the couple's behalf. But, the funds from the sale were placed in a frozen account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or not long after, the canvas entered NYC and was purchased by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was sold through a gallery to the Met, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his spouse, Elise, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a gallery in Athens where the painting is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The foundation and a family member of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing states that the defendants and its affiliates have covered up the painting's ownership and location from the family.

To this day, the defendants continue to conceal how and when the foundation came into ownership of the piece; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the reality that the Nazis confiscated the canvas from the Stern family, forced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and seized the money of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs filed a related lawsuit in California in recently, but it was rejected in the following years. An further action was also dismissed in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint contends that the museum's acquisition of the piece was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European paintings and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert must have known that the masterpiece had probably been stolen by Nazis.

The institution responded that it is committed to its historical dedication to resolve issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson remarked: Never during The Met's ownership of the painting was there any evidence that it had once belonged to the family – in fact, that knowledge did not become available until several decades after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – namely, it was noted that the work was deemed to be of lower caliber than other works of the comparable nature in the inventory. While the museum upholds its position that this work entered the holdings and was deaccessioned properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution is open to and will review any new information that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer representing the Goulandris Foundation said: BEG is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The attempt to sue and smear the institution and the Goulandris family in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, multiple times. We are certain it will be once more.