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The heirs of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, claiming that a the Dutch artist art piece was seized by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, the Stern couple purchased the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in the year 1935. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their dwelling in Munich, Germany prior to World War II.

The suit argues that the institution, which obtained the artwork in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was likely confiscated property. The family are now demanding the restitution of the artwork along with financial restitution.

In the decades since the war, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, purchased and sold in and through New York, states the court document.

Forced Emigration

The Stern family departed from their Munich home to the United States in 1936 with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. However, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was painted by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, Nazi authorities classified the artwork as property of the state and banned the family from bringing it with them. Once approved from a Nazi official, a trustee appointed by the Nazis disposed of the piece on the couple's behalf. But, the money from the auction were placed in a restricted account, which the regime later took.

Post-War History

By 1948, or soon after, the canvas entered NYC and was acquired by Vincent Astor, one of America's wealthiest people. Eventually, it was exchanged through a gallery to the institution, which then sold it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

Basil and Elise established the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a institution in the Greek capital where the artwork is currently on display.

Court Allegations

BEG and a surviving nephew of Goulandris are named as defendants. The filing claims that the family and its related entities have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and location from the family.

To this day, the defendants continue to obscure how and when the institution came into control of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the artwork from the mid-1930s; and the truth that the Nazis stole the canvas from the Stern family, forced the family into selling it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and seized the proceeds of the transaction.

Earlier Lawsuits

The descendants initiated a comparable case in CA in the year 2022, but it was thrown out in the following years. An legal challenge was also denied in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint contends that the institution's buying of the piece was approved by a curator, the museum's curator of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert must have known that the artwork had likely been stolen by the regime.

The Met said in a statement that it prioritizes its ongoing pledge to address claims from the Nazi period.

A representative remarked: At no time during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any evidence that it had previously been owned to the Stern family – actually, that information did not become accessible until many years after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the museum's strict criteria for removal from collection – specifically, it was noted that the piece was deemed to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the inventory. Even though the museum maintains its stance that this artwork entered the collection and was removed lawfully and well within all standards and procedures, the institution is open to and will review any new information that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron acting for the foundation stated: The Goulandris Foundation is a highly prestigious organization in the Greek capital. The action to take legal action against the organization and the Goulandris family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be a third time.