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The heirs of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, asserting that a the Dutch artist canvas was seized by the Third Reich.

Case History

As stated in the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern bought the piece, titled Gathering Olives, in 1935. A year after, they were obliged to escape their dwelling in Munich, Germany just before the Second World War.

The suit states that the museum, which acquired the painting in 1956 for a significant sum, ought to have been aware it was probably stolen property. The heirs are now seeking the restitution of the painting along with compensation.

Since the end of WWII, this plundered piece has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, states the court document.

Family's Flight

The Stern family escaped from their Munich home to America in 1936 with their large family due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was created by the Dutch post-impressionist in the late 19th century.

Before the family's emigration, Nazi authorities declared the masterpiece as property of the state and prohibited the family from exporting it. Once approved from a Nazi official, a trustee designated by the Nazis disposed of the painting on the family's behalf. Yet, the funds from the sale were placed in a frozen account, which the regime later confiscated.

Post-War History

In 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered New York and was bought by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Subsequently, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his spouse, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

Basil and Elise founded the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which operates a institution in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Legal Arguments

BEG and a family member of Basil Goulandris are named as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that the Goulandris family and its affiliates have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and whereabouts from the plaintiffs.

Currently, the defendants continue to conceal how and when the institution came into possession of the piece; the family's possession of the artwork from several years; and the reality that the regime looted the artwork from the heirs, forced the family into selling it via a trustee, and took the proceeds of the deal.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family initiated a related lawsuit in California in recently, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also rejected in spring 2025.

The Met's Position

The lawsuit contends that the institution's buying of the painting was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on art theft during the Nazi era. Rousseau and the Met must have known that the artwork had almost certainly been looted by the Nazis.

The Met responded that it takes seriously its historical dedication to handle claims from the Nazi period.

An official remarked: Not once during the institution's custody of the painting was there any record that it had once belonged to the Stern family – actually, that knowledge did not become known until many years after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The museum's disposal of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – in particular, it was noted that the work was deemed to be of inferior standard than additional artworks of the similar kind in the holdings. Even though the institution upholds its view that this work entered the collection and was removed properly and well within all rules and regulations, the Met welcomes and will consider any further evidence that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

A lawyer acting for BEG commented: The institution is a esteemed foundation in Athens. The action to litigate and defame the institution and the defendants in the US upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was earlier rejected, twice. We are convinced it will be a third time.