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The descendants of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a the Dutch artist canvas was stolen by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

As stated in the legal filing, the Stern couple acquired the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were compelled to leave their home in Munich on the eve of World War II.

The complaint states that the institution, which purchased the artwork in the mid-1950s for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was almost certainly looted property. The descendants are now demanding the repatriation of the canvas along with compensation.

Since the end of World War II, this stolen artwork has been frequently and covertly traded, bought and sold in and through New York, states the court document.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family departed from the city of Munich to California in 1936 with their offspring due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the regime classified the artwork as German cultural property and banned the couple from taking it abroad. After obtaining permission from a Third Reich agent, a representative assigned by the regime disposed of the artwork on the family's behalf. However, the funds from the transaction were placed in a restricted account, which the authorities later confiscated.

Later Transactions

By 1948, or soon after, the painting was brought to the United States and was acquired by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Eventually, it was transferred through a gallery to the institution, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate Goulandris and his wife, Mrs. Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

The Goulandris pair established the Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a gallery in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently shown.

Legal Arguments

The institution and a surviving nephew of the magnate are identified in the suit. The lawsuit alleges that the family and its affiliates have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and current place from the family.

Even now, the defendants continue to hide the circumstances the institution came into control of the piece; the couple's ownership of the Painting from 1935 to 1938; and the truth that the regime stole the canvas from the family, pressured the family into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the money of the transaction.

Previous Legal Action

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

Museum's Response

The complaint contends that the Met's purchase of the piece was sanctioned by the museum's expert, the institution's specialist of European paintings and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert knew or should have known that the artwork had almost certainly been stolen by the regime.

The institution said in a statement that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to address issues related to WWII.

A representative commented: At no time during the museum's possession of the artwork was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the family – indeed, that information did not become accessible until a long time after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of Olive Picking met the institution's rigorous standards for removal from collection – in particular, it was recorded that the artwork was deemed to be of lesser quality than other pieces of the similar kind in the holdings. Although The Met maintains its position that this work entered the collection and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all guidelines and policies, the Met is open to and will review any new information that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel on behalf of the Goulandris Foundation said: The Goulandris Foundation is a renowned institution in Greece. The effort to take legal action against the institution and the defendants in the US upon inaccurate and partial claims was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be a third time.