🔗 Share this article

The descendants of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against The Met, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was seized by the Nazis.

Historical Background

As stated in the legal filing, Hedwig and Frederick Stern purchased the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. A year after, they were obliged to escape their home in the German city of Munich just before World War II.

The legal action states that the institution, which acquired the painting in 1956 for a significant sum, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly looted property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the painting along with compensation.

Since the end of the war, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through New York, states the court document.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from the city of Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the renowned Dutch in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the Nazi government designated the painting as property of the state and banned the Sterns from taking it abroad. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a agent assigned by the regime auctioned the painting on the couple's behalf. But, the money from the transaction were held in a restricted account, which the regime later seized.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or shortly after, the artwork entered NYC and was acquired by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was sold through a art dealer to the museum, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate the magnate and his wife, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair established the BEG in 1979, which manages a institution in Athens where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

The institution and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The lawsuit states that the defendants and its associated organizations have concealed and disguised the masterpiece's history and current place from the family.

Currently, the defendants continue to obscure the manner and time the BEG came into possession of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from several years; and the reality that the Nazis confiscated the artwork from the family, coerced the Sterns into disposing of it via a trustee, and took the money of the transaction.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs initiated a comparable case in California in recently, but it was dismissed in 2024. An legal challenge was also denied in May 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit contends that the museum's acquisition of the piece was authorized by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of European art and a leading authority on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had probably been looted by the Nazis.

The Met said in a statement that it takes seriously its historical dedication to handle issues related to WWII.

An official commented: At no time during the institution's custody of the painting was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the Stern family – in fact, that information did not become accessible until a long time after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the museum's strict criteria for removal from collection – namely, it was noted that the artwork was judged to be of lesser quality than other works of the similar kind in the collection. While the museum respectfully stands by its position that this work entered the collection and was removed lawfully and well within all standards and procedures, the institution is open to and will review any additional details that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer acting for BEG stated: The institution is a highly prestigious organization in Athens. The attempt to litigate and defame the organization and the Goulandris family in the America upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, multiple times. We are confident it will be a third time.