New York's Met Museum Responds to Legal Challenge Over Supposedly Nazi-Plundered Van Gogh Masterpiece
The heirs of a Jewish spouses have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh oil painting was looted by the Third Reich.
Historical Background
According to the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. A year after, they were forced to flee their dwelling in the German city of Munich just before World War II.
The legal action contends that the Met, which obtained the artwork in the 1950s for a significant sum, must have realized it was almost certainly stolen property. The family are now requesting the restitution of the painting along with compensation.
In the decades since World War II, this plundered piece has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through NYC, alleges the lawsuit.
Family's Flight
Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from Munich to California in 1936 with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were prevented from taking the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.
Before they left, the regime declared the masterpiece as German cultural property and prohibited the couple from bringing it with them. Following authorization from a regime representative, a agent designated by the regime disposed of the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. But, the money from the transaction were held in a restricted account, which the authorities later seized.
Post-War History
By 1948, or shortly after, the artwork arrived in New York and was purchased by Vincent Astor, a member of the Astor family. Later, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.
The Goulandris pair founded the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a museum in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently exhibited.
Legal Arguments
The foundation and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing states that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have covered up the artwork's provenance and location from the heirs.
Even now, the defendants continue to hide how and when the institution came into ownership of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from several years; and the reality that the Nazis confiscated the artwork from the Stern family, coerced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the proceeds of the sale.
Prior Cases
The descendants submitted a related lawsuit in California in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An appeal was also dismissed in May 2025.
The Met's Position
The complaint contends that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was approved by a curator, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the Painting had almost certainly been stolen by Nazis.
The museum responded that it is committed to its ongoing pledge to resolve issues related to WWII.
A spokesperson remarked: Never during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any evidence that it had once belonged to the Stern family – indeed, that data did not become available until many years after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.
The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – specifically, it was noted that the work was judged to be of lesser quality than additional artworks of the same type in the holdings. While the institution maintains its position that this work entered the holdings and was removed properly and well within all rules and regulations, the museum invites and will examine any additional details that emerges.
Foundation's Defense
William Charron representing the foundation stated: The institution is a renowned institution in Athens. The effort to litigate and defame the organization and the defendants in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, twice. We are certain it will be again.
