🔗 Share this article

The descendants of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against The Met, claiming that a the Dutch artist art piece was looted by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the court documents, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their residence in Munich, Germany just before WWII.

The complaint states that the institution, which acquired the painting in the mid-1950s for a significant sum, must have realized it was probably confiscated property. The heirs are now requesting the return of the artwork along with financial restitution.

In the decades since WWII, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through NYC, claims the court document.

Forced Emigration

The Stern family escaped from the city of Munich to California in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the regime designated the masterpiece as a German cultural asset and forbade the family from exporting it. Following authorization from a regime representative, a representative assigned by the Nazis sold the piece on the Sterns' behalf. However, the money from the sale were placed in a frozen account, which the Nazis later seized.

Subsequent Ownership

In 1948, or not long after, the artwork was brought to the United States and was purchased by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a art dealer to the Met, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his partner, Mrs. Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the BEG in the late 1970s, which runs a institution in Athens where the painting is currently exhibited.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a family member of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing alleges that the defendants and its related entities have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and location from the plaintiffs.

To this day, the defendants continue to obscure the circumstances the BEG came into possession of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the Nazis stole the artwork from the family, coerced the Sterns into parting with it via a trustee, and seized the funds of the sale.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs initiated a similar complaint in the state of California in recently, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also denied in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint contends that the institution's buying of the piece was sanctioned by a curator, the museum's curator of European art and a leading authority on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum knew or should have known that the Painting had almost certainly been seized by the Nazis.

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

A representative remarked: Not once during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any evidence that it had earlier been possessed to the family – actually, that knowledge did not become accessible until a long time after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the museum's strict criteria for removal from collection – namely, it was documented that the artwork was judged to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the comparable nature in the collection. Although the museum upholds its stance that this work entered the inventory and was deaccessioned properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the museum welcomes and will consider any additional details that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

William Charron representing the Goulandris Foundation said: The Goulandris Foundation is a renowned institution in Athens. The effort to sue and smear the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are confident it will be once more.