The Met Faces Legal Action Over Allegedly Nazi-Looted Van Gogh Painting

The descendants of a Jewish pair have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, asserting that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was looted by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

As stated in the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the artwork, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. The following year, they were forced to flee their dwelling in the German city of Munich on the eve of World War II.

The suit contends that the institution, which obtained the artwork in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was probably confiscated property. The descendants are now requesting the restitution of the artwork 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, alleges the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from the city of Munich to California in the late 1930s with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Before they left, the Nazi government declared the artwork as property of the state and banned the family from bringing it with them. Once approved from a regime representative, a representative designated by the regime auctioned the artwork on the family's behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the auction were held in a restricted account, which the Nazis later seized.

Post-War History

By 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered New York and was purchased by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Greek couple established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a institution in Athens where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a family member of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The legal action alleges that the defendants and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and whereabouts from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the defendants continue to obscure the circumstances the BEG came into control of the piece; the Stern family's ownership of the masterpiece from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the Third Reich looted the artwork from the heirs, pressured the couple into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the funds of the deal.

Prior Cases

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

The Met's Position

The lawsuit argues that the Met's purchase of the painting was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the museum's curator of Old Masters and a leading authority on Nazi art looting. Rousseau and the Met knew or should have known that the Painting had likely been seized by Nazis.

The institution responded that it is committed to its ongoing pledge to handle claims from the Nazi period.

A representative remarked: Not once during the museum's possession of the piece was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – indeed, that information did not become available until a long time after the painting left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – specifically, it was noted that the piece was judged to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the same type in the holdings. While the museum respectfully stands by its position that this artwork entered the inventory and was sold properly and well within all rules and regulations, the institution invites and will examine any additional details that is discovered.

BEG's Response

Legal counsel acting for the foundation stated: BEG is a renowned institution in Athens. The effort to litigate and defame the institution and the defendants in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, twice. We are convinced it will be once more.