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The heirs of a Jewish couple have filed a lawsuit against New York's Metropolitan Museum, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was seized by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in the year 1935. The following year, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich prior to World War II.

The complaint argues that the institution, which acquired the painting in the 1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was likely confiscated property. The descendants are now seeking the repatriation of the artwork along with damages.

Since the end of WWII, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, acquired and disposed of in and through New York, alleges the court document.

Family's Flight

The Stern family departed from their Munich home to California in the late 1930s with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. However, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Prior to their departure, the regime declared the painting as German cultural property and forbade the couple from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a Nazi official, a representative designated by the regime disposed of the painting on the couple's behalf. But, the funds from the sale were placed in a blocked account, which the authorities later took.

Post-War History

By 1948, or soon after, the artwork arrived in the United States and was purchased by a wealthy American, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a art dealer to the Met, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair established the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which operates a gallery in Athens where the painting is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

The institution and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are listed as respondents. The legal action states that the Goulandris family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and location from the plaintiffs.

Currently, the defendants continue to conceal the circumstances the institution came into control of the piece; the couple's ownership of the artwork from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the regime looted the artwork from the Stern family, coerced the couple into selling it via a regime representative, and seized the funds of the deal.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family initiated a comparable case in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An appeal was also rejected in May 2025.

Institution's Statement

The complaint contends that the Met's purchase of the painting was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the museum's curator 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 probably been looted by Nazis.

The institution issued a statement that it takes seriously its longstanding commitment to handle claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson commented: At no time during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – in fact, that information 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 Met's guidelines for disposal – namely, it was recorded that the artwork was deemed to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the same type in the collection. Although the institution upholds its position that this work entered the holdings and was sold legally and well within all standards and procedures, the institution is open to and will review any additional details that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel on behalf of BEG commented: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The action to take legal action against the institution and the family in the US upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was earlier rejected, multiple times. We are confident it will be once more.