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The family members of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against The Met, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was looted by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. A year after, they were obliged to escape their residence in the German city of Munich prior to WWII.

The legal action states that the institution, which acquired the masterpiece in 1956 for $125,000, should have known it was almost certainly confiscated property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the canvas along with damages.

Following WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through NYC, claims the legal filing.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were unable to bring the painting, which was created by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities classified the artwork as German cultural property and banned the Sterns from exporting it. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a representative designated by the Nazis sold the artwork on the family's behalf. But, the proceeds from the sale were held in a blocked account, which the Nazis later took.

Post-War History

By 1948, or not long after, the painting entered New York and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a gallery to the museum, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his partner, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a gallery in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a family member of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing states that the defendants and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and location from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the Goulandris Defendants continue to hide the manner and time the institution came into possession of the piece; the Stern family's ownership of the artwork from several years; and the facts that the Nazis looted the canvas from the family, forced the couple into disposing of it via a trustee, and confiscated the money of the sale.

Previous Legal Action

The descendants filed a related lawsuit in the state of California in recently, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in recently.

The Met's Position

The legal action contends that the Met's purchase of the piece was authorized by a curator, the museum's curator of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had likely been stolen by the Nazis.

The institution issued a statement that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to resolve issues related to WWII.

A representative remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the painting was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – actually, that data did not become known until many years after the painting left the institution's holdings.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – specifically, it was recorded that the artwork was judged to be of lesser quality than other works of the comparable nature in the inventory. While The Met maintains its stance that this work entered the inventory and was sold legally and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution is open to and will review any additional details that emerges.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel on behalf of the foundation stated: BEG is a renowned institution in Athens. The effort to take legal action against the Foundation and the Goulandris family in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, multiple times. We are confident it will be a third time.