The Met Faces Legal Challenge Over Supposedly Nazi-Looted Van Gogh Painting

The descendants of a Jewish pair have brought a case against The Met, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was seized by the Nazis.

Case History

According to the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their home in Munich, Germany just before WWII.

The complaint contends that the Met, which acquired the artwork in 1956 for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly stolen property. The family are now requesting the return of the canvas along with damages.

Following the war, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the lawsuit.

Family's Flight

The Sterns fled from their Munich home to the United States in 1936 with their large family due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the artwork, which was painted by the renowned Dutch in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the regime designated the masterpiece as German cultural property and prohibited the Sterns from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a regime representative, a trustee appointed by the Nazis disposed of the piece on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the sale were deposited in a blocked account, which the regime later took.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or not long after, the painting was brought to New York and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was exchanged through a gallery to the Met, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his wife, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise founded the BEG in 1979, which runs a gallery in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

The foundation and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The legal action claims that the family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and current place from the family.

To this day, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal the manner and time the institution came into possession of the piece; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the Third Reich stole the Painting from the heirs, forced the family into parting with it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the funds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The descendants initiated a similar complaint in California in 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also rejected in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit contends that the institution's buying of the artwork was authorized by a curator, the museum's curator of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum must have known that the artwork had probably been seized by Nazis.

The institution said in a statement that it is committed to its ongoing pledge to address issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson remarked: At no time during the institution's custody 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 painting left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – specifically, it was recorded that the artwork was judged to be of inferior standard than other works of the comparable nature in the inventory. Even though the institution maintains its view that this piece entered the collection and was removed properly and well within all standards and procedures, the institution welcomes and will consider any further evidence that comes to light.

Foundation's Defense

William Charron on behalf of BEG commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a renowned institution in Greece. The effort to take legal action against the organization and the defendants in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was previously dismissed, twice. We are confident it will be once more.