🔗 Share this article

The family members of a Jewish couple have brought a case against The Met, asserting that a Van Gogh canvas was stolen by the Third Reich.

Historical Background

Per the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in the mid-1930s. The following year, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich on the eve of World War II.

The suit contends that the institution, which obtained the artwork in the 1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was likely confiscated property. The descendants are now requesting the return of the artwork along with compensation.

In the decades since World War II, this stolen artwork has been frequently and covertly traded, acquired and disposed of in and through NYC, alleges the legal filing.

Forced Emigration

The Stern family departed from the city of Munich to California in the late 1930s with their large family due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities declared the masterpiece as German cultural property and forbade the family from exporting it. Once approved from a regime representative, a agent appointed by the regime sold the piece on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the auction were deposited in a frozen account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or soon after, the artwork arrived in New York and was purchased by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a gallery to the museum, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple founded the BEG in 1979, which operates a institution in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

BEG and a living relative of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing claims that the defendants and its associated organizations have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and location from the family.

To this day, the defendants continue to obscure the manner and time the BEG came into control of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from 1935 to 1938; and the reality that the regime stole the artwork from the heirs, forced the family into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the money of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The Stern heirs filed a similar complaint in California in recently, but it was thrown out in the following years. An further action was also denied in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint argues that the Met's purchase of the painting was approved by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of European art and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had likely been seized by the Nazis.

The Met issued a statement that it is committed to its historical dedication to resolve issues related to WWII.

An official stated: At no time during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the heirs – actually, that information did not become known until several decades after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the institution's rigorous standards for deaccessioning – specifically, it was recorded that the artwork was considered to be of lesser quality than other works of the comparable nature in the holdings. While the institution upholds its view that this piece entered the holdings and was sold legally and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution welcomes and will consider any further evidence that emerges.

BEG's Response

William Charron representing BEG stated: The Goulandris Foundation is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The attempt to litigate and defame the organization and the Goulandris family in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, multiple times. We are certain it will be a third time.