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The descendants of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against New York's Metropolitan Museum, claiming that a Van Gogh oil painting was looted by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

As stated in the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the artwork, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their residence in the German city of Munich on the eve of World War II.

The suit argues that the museum, which obtained the painting in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly looted property. The family are now seeking the repatriation of the artwork along with compensation.

Following WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through NYC, states the lawsuit.

Family's Flight

The Sterns fled from their Munich home to the United States in the late 1930s with their offspring due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were prevented from taking the artwork, which was created by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government classified the painting as German cultural property and banned the Sterns from exporting it. Following authorization from a regime representative, a agent assigned by the Nazis sold the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the funds from the sale were held in a restricted account, which the authorities later took.

Post-War History

By 1948, or not long after, the painting was brought to New York and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then sold it to prominent shipowner Goulandris and his wife, Elise, in the early 1970s.

Basil and Elise set up the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which operates a institution in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

BEG and a surviving nephew of the magnate are named as defendants. The legal action states that the defendants and its associated organizations have concealed and disguised the masterpiece's history and location from the family.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to hide the manner and time the foundation came into possession of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the Third Reich stole the artwork from the family, pressured the couple into selling it via a regime representative, and confiscated the money of the sale.

Prior Cases

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

Institution's Statement

The legal action contends that the museum's acquisition of the piece was sanctioned by a curator, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi art looting. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the Painting had probably been seized by Nazis.

The institution issued a statement that it prioritizes its historical dedication to address claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the heirs – indeed, that knowledge did not become available until many years after the artwork left the institution's holdings.

The Met's sale of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for disposal – namely, it was documented that the piece was deemed to be of inferior standard than other works of the similar kind in the inventory. While the museum respectfully stands by its stance that this artwork entered the holdings and was deaccessioned legally and well within all standards and procedures, the institution is open to and will review any new information that comes to light.

BEG's Response

A lawyer representing the Goulandris Foundation commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The effort to sue and smear the institution and the Goulandris family in the America upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are certain it will be a third time.