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The family members of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, claiming that a the Dutch artist oil painting was stolen by the Third Reich.

Historical Background

According to the legal filing, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their residence in the German city of Munich on the eve of World War II.

The complaint argues that the Met, which obtained the artwork in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was likely confiscated property. The family are now demanding the restitution of the painting along with financial restitution.

Since the end of WWII, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through the city of New York, claims the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns fled from the city of Munich to California in 1936 with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was produced by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the Nazi government declared the painting as a German cultural asset and banned the Sterns from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a regime representative, a trustee assigned by the Nazis disposed of the artwork on the family's behalf. But, the funds from the transaction were held in a blocked account, which the regime later confiscated.

Post-War History

By 1948, or not long after, the artwork was brought to NYC and was acquired by Vincent Astor, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his wife, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a museum in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing states that the Goulandris family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the masterpiece's history and current place from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the foundation continue to conceal the manner and time the foundation came into possession of the piece; the family's possession of the artwork from the mid-1930s; and the reality that the regime confiscated the canvas from the Stern family, forced the couple into parting with it via a regime representative, and took the funds of the transaction.

Previous Legal Action

The family filed a comparable case in California in recently, but it was rejected in 2024. An appeal was also dismissed in spring 2025.

Museum's Response

The complaint argues that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the Painting had likely been looted by Nazis.

The institution said in a statement that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to resolve Nazi-era claims.

A representative commented: At no time during the institution's custody of the painting was there any record that it had previously been owned to the family – indeed, that information did not become available until a long time after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the institution's rigorous standards for deaccessioning – namely, it was documented that the work was judged to be of lesser quality than other pieces of the comparable nature in the inventory. While The Met upholds its view that this artwork entered the holdings and was sold legally and well within all standards and procedures, the Met is open to and will review any new information that is discovered.

BEG's Response

William Charron acting for the Goulandris Foundation said: BEG is a renowned institution in Athens. The action to take legal action against the organization and the defendants in the United States upon inaccurate and partial claims was previously dismissed, twice. We are certain it will be again.