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The descendants of a Jewish pair have brought a case against New York's Metropolitan Museum, claiming that a the Dutch artist oil painting was looted by the Third Reich.

Historical Background

Per the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern purchased the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their dwelling in Munich on the eve of the Second World War.

The legal action contends that the Met, which obtained the painting in 1956 for $125,000, should have known it was likely confiscated property. The family are now seeking the restitution of the artwork along with financial restitution.

Since the end of the war, this stolen artwork has been frequently and covertly traded, acquired and disposed of in and through NYC, claims the court document.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family escaped from the city of Munich to California in 1936 with their six children due to the oppressive Nazi regime. However, they were prevented from taking the painting, which was created by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before they left, the Nazi government designated the painting as German cultural property and prohibited the family from exporting it. Once approved from a Nazi official, a agent assigned by the authorities sold the painting on the family's behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the transaction were held in a frozen account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Later Transactions

In 1948, or not long after, the artwork arrived in the United States and was acquired by a prominent figure, a member of the Astor family. Eventually, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then sold it to wealthy Greek businessman the magnate and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

Basil and Elise founded the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a museum in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a family member of Basil Goulandris are listed as respondents. The legal action states that the family and its associated organizations have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and current place from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the defendants continue to hide the manner and time the BEG came into ownership of the Painting; the couple's ownership of the Painting from several years; and the facts that the Nazis confiscated the artwork from the family, pressured the couple into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the funds of the sale.

Prior Cases

The descendants initiated a comparable case in CA in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in recently.

Museum's Response

The complaint argues that the Met's purchase of the piece was sanctioned by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of European art and a leading authority on art theft during the Nazi era. The curator and the museum knew or should have known that the Painting had likely been seized by the Nazis.

The institution responded that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to handle claims from the Nazi period.

A spokesperson stated: At no time during the museum's possession of the piece was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the heirs – indeed, that data did not become accessible until a long time after the painting left the Met's possession.

The Met's sale of the Van Gogh met the institution's rigorous standards for disposal – in particular, it was documented that the work was deemed to be of lesser quality than other works of the similar kind in the inventory. While The Met maintains its view that this piece entered the collection and was deaccessioned legally and well within all guidelines and policies, the museum welcomes and will consider any new information that emerges.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel on behalf of the foundation commented: The institution is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The action to sue and smear the institution and the family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, multiple times. We are certain it will be again.