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The descendants of a Jewish pair have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, claiming that a Van Gogh oil painting was stolen by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the piece, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their residence in Munich, Germany prior to the Second World War.

The legal action argues that the museum, which acquired the artwork in 1956 for $125,000, must have realized it was probably confiscated property. The family are now seeking the repatriation of the artwork along with financial restitution.

Since the end of World War II, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, bought and sold in and through New York, alleges the legal filing.

Family's Flight

The Stern family departed from their Munich home to California in the late 1930s with their six children due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were barred from transporting the painting, which was produced by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before they left, the Nazi government declared the masterpiece as a German cultural asset and banned the couple from exporting it. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a agent designated by the authorities disposed of the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. However, the funds from the auction were held in a blocked account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Post-War History

Around 1948, or soon after, the painting arrived in the United States and was bought by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a museum in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are listed as respondents. The legal action alleges that the defendants and its associated organizations have covered up the artwork's provenance and location from the heirs.

Even now, the foundation continue to obscure the circumstances the foundation came into ownership of the piece; the Stern family's ownership of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the regime confiscated the canvas from the family, coerced the couple into disposing of it via a trustee, and seized the proceeds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family initiated a related lawsuit in California in recently, but it was thrown out in the following years. An appeal was also denied in May 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit states that the institution's buying of the painting was authorized by a curator, the Met's authority of European art and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. The curator and the museum knew or should have known that the artwork had almost certainly been looted by the Nazis.

The Met responded that it is committed to its ongoing pledge to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A representative stated: At no time during the museum's possession of the piece was there any documentation that it had earlier been possessed to the family – actually, that data did not become accessible until several decades after the painting left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – namely, it was recorded that the piece was deemed to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the same type in the holdings. Although The Met respectfully stands by its view that this piece entered the collection and was sold legally and well within all rules and regulations, the institution is open to and will review any new information that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer representing BEG commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a renowned institution in Greece. The attempt to litigate and defame the institution and the Goulandris family in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are confident it will be a third time.