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The heirs of a Jewish couple have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was looted by the Nazis.

Historical Background

Per the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in the mid-1930s. A year after, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich, Germany prior to World War II.

The legal action states that the institution, which acquired the artwork in the mid-1950s for a significant sum, must have realized it was almost certainly stolen property. The heirs are now seeking the restitution of the artwork along with financial restitution.

Since the end of World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, acquired and disposed of in and through New York, claims the court document.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from Munich to California in 1936 with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities classified the artwork as a German cultural asset and banned the family from taking it abroad. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a representative appointed by the regime sold the painting on the family's behalf. However, the funds from the transaction were deposited in a frozen account, which the Nazis later seized.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered the United States and was acquired by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Later, it was transferred through a gallery to the Met, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair founded the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a museum in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently exhibited.

Legal Arguments

The foundation and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The lawsuit states that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the artwork's provenance and current place from the family.

To this day, the defendants continue to obscure the circumstances the foundation came into control of the artwork; the family's possession of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the facts that the Third Reich looted the canvas from the Stern family, coerced the family into parting with it via a regime representative, and seized the proceeds of the transaction.

Prior Cases

The family filed a similar complaint in the state of California in 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An appeal was also rejected in recently.

Museum's Response

The complaint contends that the museum's acquisition of the piece was approved by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European art and a leading authority on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the Painting had almost certainly been seized by the Nazis.

The Met issued a statement that it is committed to its ongoing pledge to handle issues related to WWII.

A representative remarked: Not once during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any record that it had previously been owned to the family – in fact, that information did not become known until a long time after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for disposal – in particular, it was noted that the artwork was judged to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the inventory. Although the museum maintains its view that this work entered the holdings and was removed properly and well within all standards and procedures, the museum invites and will examine any new information that emerges.

BEG's Response

William Charron on behalf of BEG commented: The institution is a highly prestigious organization in Athens. The attempt to sue and smear the institution and the defendants in the America upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was already thrown out, twice. We are confident it will be once more.