🔗 Share this article

The descendants of a Jewish spouses have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Van Gogh art piece was seized by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

As stated in the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the painting, titled Olive Harvest, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich prior to the Second World War.

The suit states that the museum, which acquired the artwork in the mid-1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was likely stolen property. The family are now demanding the return of the canvas along with compensation.

Since the end of the war, this Nazi-looted painting has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the court document.

Forced Emigration

The Sterns fled from the city of Munich to America in 1936 with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the regime classified the painting as property of the state and forbade the family from exporting it. Once approved from a regime representative, a trustee designated by the Nazis sold the piece on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the money from the sale were placed in a restricted account, which the regime later seized.

Post-War History

In 1948, or soon after, the painting arrived in New York and was bought by Vincent Astor, one of America's wealthiest people. Eventually, it was exchanged through a gallery to the museum, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair established the BEG in the late 1970s, which operates a museum in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently exhibited.

Court Allegations

BEG and a surviving nephew of the magnate are listed as respondents. The lawsuit claims that the defendants and its associated organizations have covered up the painting's ownership and current place from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the foundation continue to hide the manner and time the foundation came into ownership of the artwork; the family's possession of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the facts that the regime stole the Painting from the Stern family, forced the family into parting with it via a regime representative, and confiscated the proceeds of the transaction.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family submitted a similar complaint in CA in recently, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also denied in recently.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit contends that the institution's buying of the painting was sanctioned by a curator, the museum's curator of European art and a leading authority on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum knew or should have known that the Painting had probably been seized by Nazis.

The museum responded that it prioritizes its ongoing pledge to resolve claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson remarked: At no time during the museum's possession of the painting was there any record that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – in fact, that information did not become accessible until many years after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The institution's deaccessioning of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for deaccessioning – specifically, it was recorded that the work was deemed to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the same type in the collection. While the museum upholds its stance that this piece entered the collection and was sold lawfully and well within all guidelines and policies, the Met is open to and will review any new information that emerges.

BEG's Response

William Charron on behalf of BEG stated: BEG is a highly prestigious organization in Athens. The action to take legal action against the Foundation and the family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are confident it will be a third time.