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The family members of a Jewish pair have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, asserting that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was stolen by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

Per the legal filing, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the piece, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their residence in the German city of Munich just before WWII.

The legal action contends that the museum, which acquired the painting in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was almost certainly looted property. The family are now demanding the repatriation of the canvas along with financial restitution.

Following World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through the city of New York, states the lawsuit.

Forced Emigration

The Sterns fled from the city of Munich to the United States in 1936 with their large family due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was produced by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government declared the masterpiece as property of the state and banned the family from exporting it. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a representative designated by the authorities auctioned the artwork on the couple's behalf. Yet, the money from the auction were placed in a frozen account, which the regime later took.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or soon after, the canvas entered NYC and was acquired by a prominent figure, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his partner, Elise, in 1972.

The Greek couple set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a museum in Athens where the painting is currently exhibited.

Claims and Defenses

The foundation and a living relative of the magnate are named as defendants. The legal action alleges that the Goulandris family and its related entities have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and location from the family.

To this day, the defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the foundation came into possession of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the truth that the Third Reich looted the Painting from the heirs, forced the couple into selling it via a regime representative, and seized the money of the deal.

Prior Cases

The family initiated a related lawsuit in California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also denied in spring 2025.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit contends that the museum's acquisition of the painting was sanctioned by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of Old Masters and a leading authority on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum must have known that the artwork had probably been looted by Nazis.

The museum said in a statement that it prioritizes its historical dedication to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson commented: Never during The Met's ownership of the painting was there any record that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – indeed, that information did not become accessible until several decades after the artwork left the institution's holdings.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the museum's strict criteria for deaccessioning – in particular, it was noted that the work was judged to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the similar kind in the collection. Even though the museum respectfully stands by its position that this work entered the holdings and was deaccessioned properly and well within all standards and procedures, the Met invites and will examine any further evidence that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron on behalf of the Goulandris Foundation stated: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The effort to take legal action against the institution and the defendants in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are confident it will be a third time.