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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have filed a lawsuit against The Met, asserting that a the Dutch artist canvas was seized by Nazi forces.

Historical Background

Per the court documents, Frederick and Hedwig Stern bought the painting, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. The following year, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich, Germany on the eve of WWII.

The suit states that the institution, which obtained the painting in the 1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly stolen property. The heirs are now demanding the return of the painting along with financial restitution.

Following World War II, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, bought and sold in and through New York, claims the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family departed from the city of Munich to California in 1936 with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the painting, which was produced by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Before they left, the regime classified the artwork as a German cultural asset and forbade the couple from bringing it with them. Following authorization from a Nazi official, a trustee assigned by the authorities auctioned the artwork on the family's behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the transaction were held in a blocked account, which the regime later confiscated.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or not long after, the artwork was brought to New York and was purchased by a wealthy American, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then transferred it to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

Basil and Elise founded the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a gallery in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently shown.

Claims and Defenses

The institution and a family member of Goulandris are identified in the suit. The filing claims that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and whereabouts from the plaintiffs.

To this day, the foundation continue to obscure how and when the BEG came into control of the artwork; the Stern family's ownership of the Painting from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the regime confiscated the Painting from the family, pressured the couple into disposing of it via a regime representative, and confiscated the funds of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The family submitted a similar complaint in the state of California in 2022, but it was dismissed in the following years. An further action was also dismissed in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit contends that the museum's acquisition of the artwork was sanctioned by a curator, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the Painting had probably been seized by Nazis.

The Met said in a statement that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to handle Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson stated: Not once during the museum's possession of the painting was there any evidence that it had previously been owned to the heirs – in fact, that knowledge did not become known until several decades after the painting left the Museum's collection.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – namely, it was noted that the work was considered to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the similar kind in the holdings. Although the museum maintains its view that this artwork entered the holdings and was removed lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the Met invites and will examine any additional details that is discovered.

BEG's Response

A lawyer acting for the foundation commented: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The attempt to sue and smear the organization and the defendants in the United States upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, multiple times. We are convinced it will be a third time.