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

Historical Background

As stated in the court documents, the Stern couple purchased the painting, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their residence in Munich on the eve of World War II.

The suit argues that the Met, which acquired the painting in the mid-1950s for $125,000, must have realized it was probably looted property. The heirs are now demanding the restitution of the canvas along with compensation.

Since the end of World War II, this plundered piece has been frequently and covertly traded, bought and sold in and through the city of New York, claims the lawsuit.

Forced Emigration

The Stern family escaped from the city of Munich to California in 1936 with their offspring due to Nazi persecution. Nevertheless, they were unable to bring the artwork, which was created by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Before the family's emigration, the Nazi government classified the artwork as German cultural property and banned the couple from exporting it. Once approved from a Third Reich agent, a trustee assigned by the authorities sold the painting on the family's behalf. But, the proceeds from the sale were deposited in a restricted account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

Around 1948, or soon after, the canvas entered NYC and was acquired by a prominent figure, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner Goulandris and his wife, Elise Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair set up the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which manages a gallery in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The foundation and a living relative of Goulandris are listed as respondents. The filing claims that the defendants and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the artwork's provenance and current place from the plaintiffs.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to hide how and when the foundation came into control of the Painting; the family's possession of the masterpiece from 1935 to 1938; and the reality that the Third Reich stole the artwork from the family, pressured the couple into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and seized the proceeds of the sale.

Prior Cases

The Stern heirs initiated a related lawsuit in the state of California in recently, but it was rejected in 2024. An further action was also rejected in recently.

Institution's Statement

The complaint states that the institution's buying of the artwork was authorized by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of Old Masters and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum must have known that the masterpiece had probably been stolen by the regime.

The museum responded that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to handle issues related to WWII.

A spokesperson commented: At no time during The Met's ownership of the artwork was there any evidence that it had earlier been possessed to the Stern family – in fact, that information did not become accessible until a long time after the masterpiece left the institution's holdings.

The institution's deaccessioning of Olive Picking met the institution's rigorous standards for deaccessioning – specifically, it was documented that the work was deemed to be of lesser quality than other works of the comparable nature in the collection. Even though the institution upholds its view that this work entered the holdings and was deaccessioned properly and well within all guidelines and policies, the Met invites and will examine any further evidence that emerges.

Goulandris Statement

Legal counsel acting for BEG said: BEG is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The action to litigate and defame the Foundation and the defendants in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was previously dismissed, twice. We are convinced it will be again.