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The heirs of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh art piece was looted by the Third Reich.

Historical Background

According to the court documents, the Stern couple purchased the artwork, titled Gathering Olives, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were forced to flee their residence in the German city of Munich on the eve of WWII.

The legal action argues that the institution, which obtained the painting in the 1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was likely looted property. The heirs are now requesting the return of the painting along with financial restitution.

In the decades since WWII, this plundered piece has been frequently and covertly traded, bought and sold in and through New York, claims the legal filing.

Family's Flight

The Sterns departed from their Munich home to California in the late 1930s with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. However, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Prior to their departure, the Nazi government classified the painting as property of the state and prohibited the Sterns from bringing it with them. After obtaining permission from a Nazi official, a agent assigned by the Nazis auctioned the piece on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the money from the sale were held in a blocked account, which the Nazis later seized.

Post-War History

By 1948, or soon after, the painting arrived in the United States and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Eventually, it was transferred through a gallery to the institution, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a museum in Athens where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The institution and a family member of the magnate are listed as respondents. The filing alleges that the family and its related entities have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and whereabouts from the heirs.

To this day, the foundation continue to obscure how and when the institution came into ownership of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the facts that the Nazis looted the Painting from the heirs, pressured the Sterns into selling it via a trustee, and took the money of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The descendants filed a related lawsuit in CA in the year 2022, but it was rejected in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The legal action argues that the museum's acquisition of the painting was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the Met's authority of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the Painting had probably been stolen by Nazis.

The museum said in a statement that it takes seriously its longstanding commitment to handle issues related to WWII.

A representative commented: Not once during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any record that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – indeed, that knowledge did not become accessible until a long time after the artwork left the institution's holdings.

The institution's deaccessioning of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for removal from collection – in particular, it was noted that the artwork was considered to be of lesser quality than other works of the comparable nature in the collection. Although the museum maintains its view that this piece entered the inventory and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the institution invites and will examine any new information that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron representing the foundation commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a highly prestigious organization in the Greek capital. The attempt to litigate and defame the organization and the family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was previously dismissed, twice. We are confident it will be once more.