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The heirs of a Jewish pair have brought a case against The Met, claiming that a the Dutch artist canvas was stolen by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

According to the court documents, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the piece, titled Olive Picking, in 1935. The following year, they were compelled to leave their home in Munich, Germany just before World War II.

The suit contends that the Met, which purchased the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was probably stolen property. The family are now seeking the restitution of the painting along with damages.

Following the war, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, alleges the lawsuit.

The Sterns' Escape

Hedwig and Frederick Stern departed from Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Yet, they were prevented from taking the artwork, which was painted by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the Nazi government classified the painting as property of the state and forbade the Sterns from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a regime representative, a representative appointed by the authorities auctioned the piece on the couple's behalf. However, the proceeds from the auction were held in a restricted account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or not long after, the painting was brought to New York and was acquired by Vincent Astor, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was transferred through a gallery to the institution, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a institution in Athens where the artwork is currently on display.

Legal Arguments

The institution and a living relative of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The lawsuit states that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have covered up the masterpiece's history and current place from the plaintiffs.

Even now, the foundation continue to conceal the manner and time the BEG came into control of the piece; the family's possession of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Nazis stole the Painting from the family, pressured the couple into parting with it via a trustee, and confiscated the funds of the deal.

Previous Legal Action

The Stern heirs submitted a similar complaint in the state of California in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in the following years. An further action was also rejected in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The lawsuit contends that the Met's purchase of the painting was approved by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the museum's curator of European art and a renowned specialist on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert knew or should have known that the Painting had probably been looted by the Nazis.

The institution responded that it is committed to its historical dedication to address Nazi-era claims.

An official stated: Never during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any documentation that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – indeed, that knowledge did not become available until a long time after the painting left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of the artwork met the institution's rigorous standards for deaccessioning – in particular, it was noted that the piece was considered to be of lesser quality than other pieces of the similar kind in the collection. Although the museum maintains its position that this work entered the holdings and was deaccessioned properly and well within all rules and regulations, the institution invites and will examine any additional details that comes to light.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel on behalf of BEG said: The Goulandris Foundation is a highly prestigious organization in Greece. The effort to litigate and defame the Foundation and the Goulandris family in the America upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was earlier rejected, multiple times. We are certain it will be once more.