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The heirs of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a Vincent van Gogh art piece was stolen by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

As stated in the legal filing, the Stern couple acquired the painting, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. A year after, they were obliged to escape their dwelling in Munich, Germany prior to the Second World War.

The legal action states that the museum, which obtained the painting in the 1950s for a significant sum, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly stolen property. The heirs are now seeking the restitution of the artwork along with compensation.

Following the war, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through NYC, claims the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns departed from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the renowned Dutch in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government classified the artwork as a German cultural asset and prohibited the couple from bringing it with them. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a representative appointed by the authorities sold the artwork on the couple's behalf. But, the proceeds from the auction were placed in a restricted account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or shortly after, the painting was brought to the United States and was bought by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then passed it on to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a gallery in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a surviving nephew of the magnate are listed as respondents. The filing alleges that the Goulandris family and its associated organizations have covered up the masterpiece's history and current place from the family.

Currently, the foundation continue to obscure how and when the institution came into control of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the reality that the regime confiscated the Painting from the heirs, forced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the money of the deal.

Prior Cases

The family submitted a comparable case in CA in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An further action was also dismissed in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The legal action argues that the institution's buying of the artwork was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European paintings and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert must have known that the Painting had almost certainly been stolen by the regime.

The museum issued a statement that it takes seriously its historical dedication to handle claims from the Nazi period.

An official stated: At no time during the museum's possession of the painting was there any documentation that it had earlier been possessed to the family – actually, that knowledge did not become available until many years after the painting left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – namely, it was noted that the artwork was judged to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the similar kind in the collection. While The Met upholds its position that this piece entered the holdings and was removed legally and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution is open to and will review any new information that emerges.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel representing the Goulandris Foundation said: BEG is a renowned institution in Greece. The effort to take legal action against the organization and the Goulandris family in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, twice. We are confident it will be again.