New York's Met Museum Responds to Legal Challenge Over Supposedly Nazi-Plundered Van Gogh Painting

The heirs of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against The Met, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was seized by the Nazis.

Historical Background

As stated in the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the painting, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. A year after, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in Munich, Germany on the eve of WWII.

The complaint argues that the Met, which acquired the painting in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was almost certainly looted property. The descendants are now demanding the return of the painting along with financial restitution.

Since the end of WWII, this stolen artwork has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, states the lawsuit.

Forced Emigration

The Sterns escaped from Munich to California in the late 1930s with their six children due to Nazi persecution. However, they were prevented from taking the painting, which was created by the renowned Dutch in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government designated the artwork as property of the state and prohibited the Sterns from bringing it with them. Once approved from a Nazi official, a agent assigned by the regime sold the piece on the family's behalf. But, the funds from the auction were held in a blocked account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Post-War History

By 1948, or soon after, the canvas arrived in New York and was purchased by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then passed it on to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his wife, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a gallery in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently exhibited.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a family member of the magnate are identified in the suit. The legal action claims that the Goulandris family and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and location from the family.

To this day, the defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the BEG came into control of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from several years; and the facts that the regime looted the canvas from the heirs, forced the family into selling it via a regime representative, and seized the proceeds of the deal.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs submitted a similar complaint in CA in the year 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An appeal was also dismissed in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint contends that the museum's acquisition of the piece was authorized by the museum's expert, the Met's authority of European paintings and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the masterpiece had almost certainly been stolen by Nazis.

The museum said in a statement that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to address issues related to WWII.

A representative remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the painting was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the heirs – indeed, that knowledge did not become available until several decades after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – in particular, it was documented that the work was judged to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the holdings. Even though the institution respectfully stands by its position that this work entered the holdings and was removed legally and well within all standards and procedures, the museum is open to and will review any further evidence that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel acting for the Goulandris Foundation commented: BEG is a renowned institution in the Greek capital. The effort to sue and smear the organization and the Goulandris family in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are certain it will be again.