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The family members of a Jewish pair have brought a case against The Met, asserting that a Van Gogh oil painting was seized by the Nazis.

Case History

As stated in the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the artwork, titled Gathering Olives, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their home in Munich on the eve of WWII.

The suit contends that the museum, which acquired the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was probably looted property. The heirs are now requesting the repatriation of the canvas along with financial restitution.

In the decades since World War II, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through New York, states the legal filing.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from their Munich home to America in 1936 with their six children due to Nazi persecution. However, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Before they left, Nazi authorities designated the artwork as property of the state and forbade the Sterns from bringing it with them. Following authorization from a regime representative, a representative designated by the regime disposed of the artwork on the couple's behalf. But, the funds from the transaction were placed in a blocked account, which the regime later took.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or shortly after, the canvas entered New York and was purchased by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a gallery to the museum, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in 1972.

The Greek couple set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a institution in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Claims and Defenses

The foundation and a living relative of the magnate are listed as respondents. The legal action alleges that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and location from the heirs.

To this day, the foundation continue to obscure the circumstances the BEG came into control of the piece; the family's possession of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Nazis confiscated the Painting from the heirs, pressured the couple into parting with it via a regime representative, and seized the funds of the deal.

Prior Cases

The family submitted a comparable case in the state of California in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An appeal was also denied in recently.

Museum's Response

The complaint contends that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was sanctioned by the museum's expert, the Met's authority of Old Masters and a renowned specialist on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the artwork had probably been stolen by the regime.

The institution issued a statement that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to resolve Nazi-era claims.

An official commented: At no time during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any record that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – indeed, that knowledge did not become available until many years after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The institution's deaccessioning of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – in particular, it was recorded that the artwork was considered to be of lesser quality than other works of the similar kind in the collection. Although the institution upholds its position that this artwork entered the collection and was deaccessioned properly and well within all standards and procedures, the Met invites and will examine any additional details that is discovered.

BEG's Response

William Charron acting for the Goulandris Foundation said: BEG is a renowned institution in Athens. The action to sue and smear the organization and the defendants in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, twice. We are certain it will be again.