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The family members of a Jewish couple have initiated legal proceedings against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was stolen by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. The following year, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich prior to World War II.

The suit argues that the museum, which obtained the masterpiece in the 1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was probably stolen property. The heirs are now demanding the return of the artwork along with damages.

In the decades since World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through New York, states the legal filing.

Family's Flight

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the painting, which was produced by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before they left, Nazi authorities classified the painting as a German cultural asset and banned the couple from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a regime representative, a agent appointed by the Nazis auctioned the painting on the family's behalf. However, the funds from the auction were held in a frozen account, which the authorities later seized.

Post-War History

By 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered New York and was acquired by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his partner, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a museum in Athens where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The institution and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants and its related entities have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and whereabouts from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the foundation continue to hide the manner and time the BEG came into ownership of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the reality that the regime looted the artwork from the heirs, pressured the couple into selling it via a trustee, and confiscated the proceeds of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The family filed a comparable case in California in recently, but it was rejected in the following years. An appeal was also denied in spring 2025.

Museum's Response

The complaint argues that the institution's buying of the artwork was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the museum's curator of European art and a renowned specialist on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the Painting had almost certainly been seized by the regime.

The institution responded that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to resolve Nazi-era claims.

An official commented: At no time during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – in fact, that data did not become known until many years after the painting left the institution's holdings.

The Met's sale of the artwork met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – specifically, it was noted that the artwork was judged to be of inferior standard than other pieces of the similar kind in the inventory. While The Met upholds its view that this artwork entered the collection and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all guidelines and policies, the Met welcomes and will consider any additional details that emerges.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel representing BEG said: BEG is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The attempt to sue and smear the organization and the defendants in the United States upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, multiple times. We are confident it will be again.