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The descendants of a Jewish pair have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a the Dutch artist oil painting was stolen by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the court documents, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their residence in the German city of Munich prior to World War II.

The legal action contends that the Met, which acquired the artwork in the 1950s for $125,000, should have known it was almost certainly confiscated property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the artwork along with damages.

Since the end of World War II, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through New York, states the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns departed from Munich to America in 1936 with their large family due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the regime declared the masterpiece as property of the state and banned the family from exporting it. After obtaining permission from a regime representative, a representative assigned by the Nazis sold the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. However, the funds from the sale were deposited in a blocked account, which the regime later took.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or soon after, the canvas entered the United States and was acquired by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Later, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the institution, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

Basil and Elise founded the BEG in 1979, which manages a museum in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently exhibited.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are listed as respondents. The lawsuit states that the defendants and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and current place from the plaintiffs.

To this day, the defendants continue to hide the manner and time the foundation came into possession of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from 1935 to 1938; and the facts that the regime looted the artwork from the Stern family, forced the family into parting with it via a trustee, and took the funds of the sale.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs submitted a similar complaint in CA in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also rejected in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit states that the Met's purchase of the artwork was approved by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the masterpiece had probably been looted by the regime.

The institution issued a statement that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to handle claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson commented: Not once during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the family – indeed, that information did not become available until many years after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of the artwork met the institution's rigorous standards for removal from collection – in particular, it was documented that the piece was deemed to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the inventory. Although the institution respectfully stands by its position that this artwork entered the collection and was removed legally and well within all standards and procedures, the Met is open to and will review any new information that emerges.

BEG's Response

A lawyer on behalf of the foundation commented: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The action to sue and smear the organization and the Goulandris family in the United States upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are certain it will be a third time.