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The heirs of a Jewish couple have brought a case against The Met, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh art piece was seized by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. A year after, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in Munich, Germany on the eve of World War II.

The legal action contends that the Met, which purchased the painting in the 1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was probably looted property. The heirs are now seeking the repatriation of the painting along with damages.

Following World War II, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns escaped from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the painting, which was created by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Prior to their departure, the regime declared the artwork as property of the state and forbade the couple from exporting it. Following authorization from a Third Reich agent, a agent assigned by the regime disposed of the artwork on the couple's behalf. But, the proceeds from the auction were placed in a blocked account, which the authorities later seized.

Later Transactions

Around 1948, or shortly after, the canvas entered NYC and was acquired by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a gallery to the museum, which then passed it on to prominent shipowner Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a institution in the Greek capital where the painting is currently on display.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are listed as respondents. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and whereabouts from the family.

Even now, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal the manner and time the foundation came into possession of the Painting; the family's possession of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Third Reich stole the artwork from the family, coerced the couple into parting with it via a trustee, and confiscated the funds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family filed a related lawsuit in CA in recently, but it was rejected in the following years. An appeal was also rejected in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The legal action contends that the museum's acquisition of the piece was approved by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European paintings and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert must have known that the Painting had likely been looted by Nazis.

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

A spokesperson commented: Never during The Met's ownership of the painting was there any record that it had previously been owned to the heirs – actually, that data did not become available until many years after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – namely, it was recorded that the work was considered to be of inferior standard than other pieces of the similar kind in the collection. While the museum maintains its view that this work entered the inventory and was removed properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution welcomes and will consider any further evidence that comes to light.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel acting for the foundation said: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The action to litigate and defame the organization and the Goulandris family in the US upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was previously dismissed, multiple times. We are confident it will be once more.