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The family members of a Jewish pair have brought a case against The Met, claiming that a Van Gogh oil painting was looted by the Nazis.

Historical Background

According to the lawsuit, the Stern couple acquired the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. A year after, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in Munich, Germany on the eve of the Second World War.

The legal action contends that the museum, which obtained the artwork in the mid-1950s for a significant sum, should have known it was probably stolen property. The descendants are now requesting the restitution of the canvas along with financial restitution.

Since the end of World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through the city of New York, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family fled from Munich to America in the late 1930s with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the artwork, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the regime designated the artwork as a German cultural asset and banned the couple from exporting it. Following authorization from a Nazi official, a agent appointed by the Nazis auctioned the artwork on the family's behalf. Yet, the funds from the sale were placed in a blocked account, which the Nazis later seized.

Post-War History

By 1948, or not long after, the canvas was brought to NYC and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his partner, Mrs. Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a museum in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The foundation and a living relative of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The legal action alleges that the Goulandris family and its related entities have covered up the masterpiece's history and location from the plaintiffs.

To this day, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the foundation came into possession of the piece; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Nazis looted the Painting from the Stern family, pressured the Sterns into selling it via a trustee, and confiscated the funds of the sale.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs submitted a related lawsuit in CA in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also rejected in May 2025.

Institution's Statement

The complaint contends that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was approved by the museum's expert, the museum's curator of Old Masters and a leading authority on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had likely been looted by Nazis.

The Met issued a statement that it is committed to its historical dedication to resolve Nazi-era claims.

An official remarked: Never 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 known until a long time after the painting left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for disposal – in particular, it was noted that the piece was judged to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the holdings. Although the museum maintains its stance that this work entered the collection and was removed lawfully and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution is open to and will review any new information that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron acting for the foundation commented: BEG is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The effort to take legal action against the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was earlier rejected, twice. We are confident it will be again.