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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was stolen by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

According to the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in 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 contends that the institution, which purchased the artwork in the mid-1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was almost certainly looted property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the painting along with compensation.

Following the war, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the court document.

Family's Flight

The Stern family fled from Munich to America in 1936 with their offspring due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were unable to bring the artwork, which was painted by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the regime declared the masterpiece as property of the state and forbade the family from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a Third Reich agent, a agent appointed by the regime auctioned the painting on the family's behalf. But, the proceeds from the sale were deposited in a blocked account, which the authorities later took.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or not long after, the artwork arrived in NYC and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a art dealer to the museum, which then passed it on to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Greek couple established the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a gallery in the Greek capital where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a family member of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The legal action claims that the Goulandris family and its associated organizations have covered up the masterpiece's history and whereabouts from the family.

Even now, the foundation continue to hide the circumstances the foundation came into ownership of the piece; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the truth that the Nazis looted the canvas from the heirs, pressured the family into parting with it via a regime representative, and took the money of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The descendants initiated a related lawsuit in California in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An further action was also denied in May 2025.

Institution's Statement

The legal action contends that the museum's acquisition of the painting was sanctioned by a curator, the museum's curator of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the artwork had likely been looted by the regime.

The Met said in a statement that it prioritizes its ongoing pledge to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A representative remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the piece was there any evidence that it had previously been owned to the heirs – indeed, that information did not become available until many years after the painting left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of Olive Picking met the institution's rigorous standards for deaccessioning – namely, it was documented that the work was considered to be of lesser quality than additional artworks of the similar kind in the holdings. Although the institution upholds its stance that this piece entered the inventory and was sold properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the Met invites and will examine any further evidence that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

A lawyer on behalf of the foundation commented: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The effort to take legal action against the organization and the Goulandris family in the America upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was already thrown out, twice. We are certain it will be a third time.