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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a the Dutch artist art piece was seized by Nazi forces.

Case History

According to the legal filing, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in the year 1935. A year after, they were compelled to leave their dwelling in the German city of Munich just before World War II.

The complaint argues that the institution, which obtained the artwork in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was likely stolen property. The descendants are now seeking the return of the canvas along with compensation.

Since the end of World War II, this stolen artwork has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns escaped from their Munich home to California in 1936 with their large family due to persecution by the Nazis. However, they were prevented from taking the artwork, which was painted by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before they left, the regime classified the artwork as German cultural property and prohibited the family from taking it abroad. Once approved from a Nazi official, a trustee designated by the authorities sold the piece on the family's behalf. However, the funds from the sale were deposited in a frozen account, which the Nazis later seized.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or soon after, the canvas arrived in NYC and was purchased by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Subsequently, it was transferred through a gallery to the institution, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair founded the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which manages a gallery in Athens where the masterpiece is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

The institution and a family member of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The legal action states that the Goulandris family and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and whereabouts from the family.

Currently, the foundation continue to conceal the circumstances the BEG came into control of the artwork; the family's possession of the Painting from several years; and the reality that the regime confiscated the Painting from the heirs, forced the family into disposing of it via a trustee, and confiscated the funds of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The descendants filed a comparable case in the state of California in recently, but it was dismissed in 2024. An appeal was also denied in May 2025.

Institution's Statement

The complaint argues that the museum's acquisition of the painting was approved by a curator, the institution's specialist of European art and a renowned specialist on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the Painting had likely been looted by the regime.

The Met said in a statement that it prioritizes its historical dedication to address issues related to WWII.

A representative commented: Never during The Met's ownership of the painting was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the heirs – in fact, that knowledge did not become accessible until many years after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The Met's sale of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – specifically, it was documented that the work was deemed to be of inferior standard than other pieces of the same type in the holdings. Even though the museum upholds its position that this artwork entered the inventory and was sold legally and well within all rules and regulations, the Met is open to and will review any new information that emerges.

BEG's Response

William Charron acting for the foundation stated: BEG is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The action to take legal action against the Foundation and the family in the America upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, multiple times. We are certain it will be once more.