Heirs Sue Met Museum Over Nazi-Looted Van Gogh Painting

The heirs of a Jewish couple who fled Nazi Germany are suing the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a Greek art foundation for ownership of Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 painting, Olive Picking. The lawsuit claims the artwork was looted by the Nazis and seeks the painting’s return along with damages. The plaintiffs are descendants of Hedwig and Frederick Stern, who purchased the painting in 1935 before being forced to flee to the United States in 1936.

The Sterns, who lived in Munich, were among the many Jewish families persecuted during this era. The lawsuit states they were unable to bring Olive Picking with them when they escaped Germany. Instead, Nazi authorities classified the painting as “German cultural property.” In 1938, the artwork was sold without the Sterns’ consent, and the profits were seized by the Nazis.

After World War II, the painting made its way to the United States, where it was acquired by businessman Vincent Astor. In 1956, the Met purchased it for $125,000 (€108,000) and later sold it to Greek magnate Basil Goulandris and his wife, Elise, in 1972. Currently, the painting is displayed in a museum operated by the Goulandris Foundation in Athens, valued at over $75,000 (€64,800).

The lawsuit, filed in a federal district court in Manhattan, argues that the Met “knew or should have known” about the painting’s likely Nazi looting. It points to the role of Theodore Rousseau Jr., the museum’s curator of European paintings at the time of the sale, who had expertise in Nazi art looting. The plaintiffs contend that Rousseau took no steps to verify the painting’s provenance during the war.

In 2022, the Stern heirs had attempted to bring a similar lawsuit in California, but it was dismissed in 2024 due to jurisdictional issues. The heirs’ legal team stated, “In the decades since the end of World War II, this Nazi-looted painting has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased, and sold in and through New York.”

The Met has consistently maintained that it was unaware of the painting’s connection to the Stern family. The museum’s website states that it has focused on the provenance of artworks traded during the Nazi era, emphasizing its commitment to transparency. The Basile & Elise Goulandris Foundation has also denied the accusations, asserting that the lawsuit is an attempt to “smear” its reputation.

This legal battle highlights ongoing tensions surrounding art restitution and the complexities of ownership claims for works affected by historical injustices.