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The heirs of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against The Met, asserting that a the Dutch artist art piece was stolen by the Nazis.

Historical Background

According to the lawsuit, the Stern couple bought the painting, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. A year after, they were compelled to leave their home in the German city of Munich on the eve of WWII.

The complaint states that the museum, which purchased the masterpiece in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was likely stolen property. The descendants are now seeking the repatriation of the painting along with damages.

Since the end of the war, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, bought and sold in and through NYC, states the lawsuit.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from Munich to California in the late 1930s with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, the regime declared the artwork as a German cultural asset and forbade the couple from exporting it. Following authorization from a Third Reich agent, a representative designated by the regime disposed of the artwork on the couple's behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the auction were deposited in a restricted account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or not long after, the artwork arrived in New York and was acquired by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his wife, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple established the BEG in 1979, which runs a museum in Athens where the painting is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

The foundation and a family member of the magnate are listed as respondents. The filing claims that the family and its related entities have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and current place from the heirs.

To this day, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the BEG came into possession of the Painting; the family's possession of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the facts that the Third Reich stole the canvas from the family, pressured the couple into parting with it via a trustee, and confiscated the funds of the transaction.

Earlier Lawsuits

The Stern heirs initiated a related lawsuit in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also rejected in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint states that the institution's buying of the artwork was authorized by a curator, the museum's curator of European art and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the masterpiece had likely been stolen by the regime.

The Met responded that it takes seriously its historical dedication to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the piece was there any evidence that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – in fact, that data did not become available until a long time after the masterpiece left the Met's possession.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – in particular, it was documented that the work was judged to be of lesser quality than other works of the same type in the collection. While the institution upholds its view that this work entered the inventory and was removed legally and well within all standards and procedures, the museum is open to and will review any further evidence that emerges.

Foundation's Defense

William Charron representing BEG said: BEG is a renowned institution in Greece. The action to take legal action against the organization and the defendants in the United States upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was previously dismissed, multiple times. We are convinced it will be again.