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The family members of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh art piece was seized by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the court documents, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the artwork, titled Gathering Olives, in 1935. A year after, they were obliged to escape their home in Munich prior to the Second World War.

The complaint states that the museum, which obtained the masterpiece in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was probably looted property. The descendants are now requesting the return of the painting along with financial restitution.

Following WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, states the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns escaped from Munich to California in 1936 with their large family due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government classified the painting as German cultural property and forbade the family from bringing it with them. After obtaining permission from a Third Reich agent, a trustee appointed by the authorities sold the piece on the couple's behalf. But, the proceeds from the auction were placed in a blocked account, which the regime later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or not long after, the canvas arrived in NYC and was acquired by Vincent Astor, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was sold through a art dealer to the museum, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple founded the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which operates a museum in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

The foundation and a living relative of Goulandris are listed as respondents. The legal action states that the family and its affiliates have covered up the artwork's provenance and location from the heirs.

To this day, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal the manner and time the BEG came into possession of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the artwork from several years; and the reality that the Nazis stole the canvas from the heirs, coerced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the money of the deal.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs initiated a related lawsuit in CA in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An appeal was also denied in recently.

Institution's Statement

The complaint argues that the museum's acquisition of the piece was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi art looting. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the artwork had almost certainly been stolen by the regime.

The museum responded that it is committed to its ongoing pledge to handle Nazi-era claims.

A representative remarked: Not once during the institution's custody of the piece was there any evidence that it had once belonged to the family – indeed, that data did not become accessible until a long time after the masterpiece left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for disposal – specifically, it was documented that the piece was considered to be of lesser quality than additional artworks of the comparable nature in the inventory. While the museum upholds its view that this work entered the collection and was removed lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the Met is open to and will review any further evidence that is discovered.

BEG's Response

William Charron acting for BEG commented: BEG is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The effort to litigate and defame the institution and the Goulandris family in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, multiple times. We are convinced it will be again.