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The family members of a Jewish couple have brought a case against The Met, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was stolen by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

According to the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern purchased the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in 1935. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich, Germany just before the Second World War.

The legal action contends that the institution, which acquired the artwork in the 1950s for a significant sum, should have known it was almost certainly looted property. The descendants are now demanding the return of the canvas along with financial restitution.

In the decades since World War II, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through New York, alleges the court document.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns departed from their Munich home to the United States in 1936 with their large family due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government declared the artwork as a German cultural asset and forbade the Sterns from bringing it with them. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a trustee appointed by the regime auctioned the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the money from the auction were placed in a blocked account, which the regime later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or shortly after, the artwork was brought to the United States and was bought by Vincent Astor, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then passed it on to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

Basil and Elise established the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a gallery in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently exhibited.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a family member of Goulandris are named as defendants. The filing claims that the Goulandris family and its related entities have covered up the artwork's provenance and whereabouts from the plaintiffs.

Currently, the defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the BEG came into control of the Painting; the family's possession of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Third Reich confiscated the artwork from the family, forced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and seized the money of the transaction.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs submitted a similar complaint in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An appeal was also rejected in recently.

Museum's Response

The complaint states that the Met's purchase of the piece was approved by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the artwork had likely been looted by the Nazis.

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

A spokesperson remarked: At no time during the museum's possession of the piece was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the family – actually, that knowledge did not become available until a long time after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – in particular, it was recorded that the artwork was deemed to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the similar kind in the holdings. While The Met upholds its view that this work entered the inventory and was sold lawfully and well within all guidelines and policies, the Met invites and will examine any further evidence that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer representing BEG said: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The attempt to litigate and defame the Foundation and the family in the United States upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are certain it will be again.