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The family members of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh art piece was looted by Nazi forces.

Case History

According to the court documents, the Stern couple acquired the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in 1935. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their home in Munich, Germany on the eve of the Second World War.

The complaint argues that the Met, which purchased the artwork in the mid-1950s for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly confiscated property. The heirs are now requesting the return of the canvas along with compensation.

In the decades since WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the court document.

Forced Emigration

The Sterns fled from the city of Munich to the United States in 1936 with their large family due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were prevented from taking the artwork, which was created by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government classified the artwork as a German cultural asset and banned the family from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a regime representative, a representative assigned by the Nazis disposed of the artwork on the family's behalf. Yet, the funds from the transaction were deposited in a restricted account, which the Nazis later took.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or soon after, the painting entered NYC and was purchased by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was exchanged through a gallery to the institution, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner Basil Goulandris and his partner, Elise, in 1972.

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

Claims and Defenses

BEG and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The filing alleges that the Goulandris family and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and current place from the family.

Currently, the foundation continue to obscure how and when the BEG came into possession of the Painting; the couple's ownership of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Third Reich looted the Painting from the heirs, forced the couple into parting with it via a trustee, and took the money of the sale.

Previous Legal Action

The family initiated a related lawsuit in California in recently, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also denied in spring 2025.

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit states that the institution's buying of the artwork was sanctioned by a curator, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the masterpiece had probably been stolen by Nazis.

The institution responded that it takes seriously its longstanding commitment to handle Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson commented: Never during the institution's custody of the painting was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the heirs – actually, that data did not become known until a long time after the painting left the Museum's collection.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the museum's strict criteria for disposal – namely, it was noted that the work was considered to be of lesser quality than other works of the comparable nature in the collection. Although the institution respectfully stands by its stance that this piece entered the collection and was deaccessioned properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the institution is open to and will review any new information that comes to light.

BEG's Response

William Charron on behalf of the foundation said: The Goulandris Foundation is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The effort to litigate and defame the organization and the defendants in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are confident it will be once more.