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The descendants of a Jewish couple have filed a lawsuit against The Met, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh art piece was seized by the Third Reich.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, the Stern couple purchased the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. A year after, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich prior to World War II.

The complaint states that the Met, which acquired the painting in 1956 for $125,000, must have realized it was probably confiscated property. The descendants are now seeking the repatriation of the canvas along with financial restitution.

Since the end of World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through NYC, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from their Munich home to California in 1936 with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before they left, Nazi authorities declared the painting as property of the state and forbade the Sterns from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a Third Reich agent, a representative appointed by the regime sold the painting on the family's behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the auction were placed in a frozen account, which the Nazis later seized.

Later Transactions

Around 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered the United States and was acquired by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Eventually, it was exchanged through a gallery to the museum, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his partner, Mrs. Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a museum in Athens where the artwork is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a family member of the magnate are named as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants and its related entities have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and current place from the family.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to hide the manner and time the institution came into ownership of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the facts that the Third Reich stole the Painting from the heirs, forced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the proceeds of the sale.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs initiated a related lawsuit in California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in the following years. An appeal was also rejected in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The complaint states that the Met's purchase of the piece was authorized by a curator, the museum's curator of European art and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had probably been seized by the Nazis.

The museum responded that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to handle issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson stated: Never during the institution's custody of the piece was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the family – actually, that information did not become accessible until a long time after the painting left the institution's holdings.

The museum's disposal of Olive Picking met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – in particular, it was recorded that the artwork was judged to be of lesser quality than other pieces of the similar kind in the collection. Although The Met respectfully stands by its view that this piece entered the inventory and was sold lawfully and well within all standards and procedures, the Met invites and will examine any new information that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

A lawyer representing the foundation commented: BEG is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The attempt to litigate and defame the Foundation and the defendants in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be again.