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The descendants of a Jewish couple have filed a lawsuit against The Met, asserting that a Van Gogh oil painting was stolen by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the legal filing, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the piece, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. The following year, they were compelled to leave their home in the German city of Munich prior to WWII.

The suit states that the institution, which obtained the painting in 1956 for a significant sum, should have known it was probably stolen property. The descendants are now requesting the return of the canvas along with financial restitution.

In the decades since World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, bought and sold in and through New York, alleges the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, the regime designated the painting as a German cultural asset and forbade the Sterns from exporting it. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a agent assigned by the Nazis auctioned the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. However, the funds from the sale were placed in a restricted account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Post-War History

By 1948, or shortly after, the artwork arrived in New York and was acquired by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Eventually, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman Basil Goulandris and his wife, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a gallery in Athens where the artwork is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

BEG and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The legal action alleges that the family and its associated organizations have covered up the masterpiece's history and location from the family.

To this day, the foundation continue to hide the manner and time the BEG came into control of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the facts that the Nazis confiscated the canvas from the heirs, coerced the Sterns into selling it via a regime representative, and took the proceeds of the transaction.

Prior Cases

The descendants initiated a related lawsuit in California in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An appeal was also rejected in spring 2025.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit states that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was authorized by a curator, the museum's curator of European paintings and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had probably been looted by the Nazis.

The institution said in a statement that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to resolve issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson commented: At no time during the museum's possession of the artwork was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – indeed, that information did not become available until several decades after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The museum's disposal of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – in particular, it was recorded that the piece was considered to be of lesser quality than additional artworks of the similar kind in the inventory. Although The Met maintains its position that this artwork entered the collection and was deaccessioned properly and well within all standards and procedures, the museum is open to and will review any further evidence that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron acting for the foundation said: The institution is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The action to take legal action against the institution and the Goulandris family in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are confident it will be once more.