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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against The Met, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh art piece was looted by the Nazis.

Case History

As stated in the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the piece, titled Gathering Olives, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich just before WWII.

The suit states that the museum, which acquired the painting in the 1950s for $125,000, should have known it was probably confiscated property. The heirs are now seeking the restitution of the canvas along with damages.

Following WWII, this stolen artwork has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through NYC, alleges the court document.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from their Munich home to the United States in the late 1930s with their large family due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities classified the artwork as property of the state and forbade the Sterns from exporting it. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a trustee designated by the Nazis sold the painting on the family's behalf. Yet, the funds from the sale were placed in a frozen account, which the regime later seized.

Post-War History

Around 1948, or shortly after, the canvas was brought to NYC and was bought by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was sold through a gallery to the institution, which then passed it on to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his partner, Elise, in the early 1970s.

Basil and Elise established the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a institution in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently exhibited.

Claims and Defenses

The foundation and a living relative of Goulandris are named as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants and its affiliates have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and location from the heirs.

To this day, the defendants continue to hide the manner and time the institution came into possession of the piece; the couple's ownership of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the facts that the regime looted the artwork from the Stern family, forced the Sterns into parting with it via a regime representative, and confiscated the proceeds of the deal.

Prior Cases

The descendants submitted a similar complaint in California in 2022, but it was thrown out in the following years. An appeal was also dismissed in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The lawsuit argues that the institution's buying of the piece was authorized by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum must have known that the Painting had likely been seized by the Nazis.

The institution issued a statement that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to address Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson stated: At no time during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any documentation that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – in fact, that data did not become available until several decades after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of Olive Picking met the museum's strict criteria for deaccessioning – in particular, it was documented that the artwork was considered to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the similar kind in the inventory. While The Met respectfully stands by its position that this work entered the collection and was sold properly and well within all standards and procedures, the Met invites and will examine any further evidence that comes to light.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel on behalf of BEG stated: BEG is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The attempt to litigate and defame the organization and the defendants in the America upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, multiple times. We are confident it will be once more.