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The heirs of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was seized by the Third Reich.

Case History

Per the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. A year after, they were forced to flee their residence in Munich prior to the Second World War.

The complaint states that the Met, which purchased the artwork in 1956 for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was likely confiscated property. The family are now requesting the repatriation of the painting along with damages.

In the decades since World War II, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through NYC, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family departed from their Munich home to America in 1936 with their offspring due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the Nazi government designated the artwork as German cultural property and banned the Sterns from bringing it with them. Once approved from a regime representative, a trustee appointed by the authorities auctioned the painting on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the money from the sale were held in a frozen account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

In 1948, or not long after, the artwork was brought to New York and was acquired by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the institution, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple founded the BEG in 1979, which manages a gallery in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently shown.

Court Allegations

BEG and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing states that the family and its associated organizations have concealed and disguised the artwork's provenance and current place from the family.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the BEG came into possession of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the reality that the regime looted the canvas from the heirs, forced the Sterns into selling it via a trustee, and seized the proceeds of the transaction.

Earlier Lawsuits

The descendants filed a comparable case in California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An further action was also denied in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The complaint contends that the Met's purchase of the painting was approved by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert knew or should have known that the masterpiece had likely been stolen by the regime.

The museum responded that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to resolve issues related to WWII.

A representative commented: At no time during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the Stern family – indeed, that data did not become known until several decades after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for disposal – namely, it was recorded that the piece was judged to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the same type in the collection. Although the institution respectfully stands by its stance that this artwork entered the holdings and was deaccessioned legally and well within all standards and procedures, the museum welcomes and will consider any additional details that comes to light.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel on behalf of the Goulandris Foundation commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The effort to take legal action against the Foundation and the defendants in the United States upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was previously dismissed, twice. We are confident it will be a third time.