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The heirs of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a the Dutch artist canvas was looted by the Nazis.

Historical Background

According to the lawsuit, the Stern couple bought the painting, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich, Germany prior to the Second World War.

The legal action argues that the institution, which obtained the painting in the mid-1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was probably confiscated property. The descendants are now demanding the restitution of the canvas along with financial restitution.

In the decades since World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns departed from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the painting, which was painted by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Prior to their departure, Nazi authorities classified the masterpiece as property of the state and banned the family from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a representative assigned by the regime disposed of the piece on the couple's behalf. However, the funds from the sale were placed in a frozen account, which the Nazis later took.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or not long after, the artwork arrived in the United States and was acquired by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was transferred through a art dealer to the Met, which then sold it to prominent shipowner Goulandris and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple established the BEG in the late 1970s, which runs a gallery in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently exhibited.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a family member of Goulandris are listed as respondents. The lawsuit states that the Goulandris family and its related entities have covered up the painting's ownership and location from the plaintiffs.

To this day, the foundation continue to hide the circumstances the institution came into possession of the Painting; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from 1935 to 1938; and the reality that the Third Reich confiscated the Painting from the Stern family, coerced the couple into selling it via a trustee, and confiscated the funds of the transaction.

Earlier Lawsuits

The descendants submitted a similar complaint in California in 2022, but it was dismissed in the following years. An legal challenge was also denied in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The legal action states that the museum's acquisition of the piece was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European art and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum knew or should have known that the artwork had almost certainly been looted by the regime.

The Met issued a statement that it takes seriously its historical dedication to resolve claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any evidence that it had once belonged to the heirs – in fact, that knowledge did not become available until many years after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for deaccessioning – namely, it was noted that the piece was considered to be of lesser quality than other works of the same type in the inventory. Although the institution upholds its stance that this work entered the holdings and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the Met is open to and will review any further evidence that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel acting for the foundation commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The effort to litigate and defame the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was earlier rejected, twice. We are confident it will be again.