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The descendants of a Jewish pair have filed a lawsuit against New York's Metropolitan Museum, asserting that a Van Gogh oil painting was seized by the Third Reich.

Historical Background

As stated in the court documents, the Stern couple acquired the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. A year after, they were obliged to escape their dwelling in Munich prior to the Second World War.

The legal action contends that the institution, which obtained the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was almost certainly looted property. The descendants are now seeking the return of the artwork along with damages.

Since the end of World War II, this stolen artwork has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through the city of New York, states the legal filing.

Family's Flight

The Sterns departed from the city of Munich to California in the late 1930s with their large family due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were prevented from taking the artwork, which was produced by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the regime classified the painting as property of the state and prohibited the family from exporting it. Once approved from a regime representative, a agent designated by the Nazis disposed of the artwork on the couple's behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the transaction were placed in a restricted account, which the authorities later seized.

Post-War History

Around 1948, or shortly after, the canvas was brought to NYC and was bought by a wealthy American, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was exchanged through a art dealer to the museum, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner Basil Goulandris and his wife, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which operates a museum in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

The foundation and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing claims that the defendants and its affiliates have covered up the masterpiece's history and location from the family.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to hide the circumstances the institution came into possession of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from 1935 to 1938; and the reality that the regime looted the artwork from the family, coerced the couple into selling it via a trustee, and seized the money of the sale.

Previous Legal Action

The descendants filed a related lawsuit in California in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also dismissed in recently.

Museum's Response

The complaint argues that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was sanctioned by a curator, the museum's curator of European art and a leading authority on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had almost certainly been seized by Nazis.

The institution issued a statement that it takes seriously its historical dedication to handle Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson remarked: At no time during the museum's possession of the artwork was there any evidence that it had previously been owned to the family – in fact, that data did not become known until several decades after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The Met's sale of the Van Gogh met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – specifically, it was recorded that the artwork was deemed to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the same type in the inventory. Even though the institution upholds its view that this piece entered the inventory and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the Met is open to and will review any new information that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron representing the Goulandris Foundation commented: The institution is a renowned institution in the Greek capital. The attempt to take legal action against the organization and the defendants in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be a third time.