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The descendants of a Jewish couple have brought a case against The Met, alleging that a the Dutch artist oil painting was looted by the Nazis.

Historical Background

According to the legal filing, the Stern couple bought the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. The following year, they were forced to flee their dwelling in Munich just before the Second World War.

The complaint states that the institution, which purchased the painting in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, should have known it was likely stolen property. The heirs are now requesting the restitution of the canvas along with financial restitution.

Following the war, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, acquired and disposed of in and through NYC, claims the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Stern family escaped from the city of Munich to the United States in 1936 with their offspring due to persecution by the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were barred from transporting the artwork, which was created by the celebrated artist in 1889.

Before they left, Nazi authorities declared the masterpiece as a German cultural asset and banned the Sterns from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a Nazi official, a agent appointed by the authorities auctioned the artwork on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the proceeds from the auction were deposited in a blocked account, which the regime later took.

Later Transactions

Around 1948, or shortly after, the painting was brought to NYC and was acquired by a wealthy American, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then sold it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his spouse, Elise, in 1972.

Basil and Elise set up the BEG in 1979, which runs a institution in Athens, Greece where the painting is currently on display.

Court Allegations

The foundation and a surviving nephew of Basil Goulandris are identified in the suit. The lawsuit alleges that the family and its associated organizations have hidden and obscured the painting's ownership and current place from the heirs.

Currently, the Goulandris Defendants continue to conceal how and when the BEG came into control of the artwork; the couple's ownership of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the facts that the Nazis stole the canvas from the family, forced the couple into parting with it via a trustee, and confiscated the proceeds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The descendants initiated a similar complaint in the state of California in 2022, but it was dismissed in 2024. An legal challenge was also dismissed in May 2025.

The Met's Position

The complaint states that the institution's buying of the piece was authorized by a curator, the institution's specialist of European art and a renowned specialist on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert must have known that the Painting had likely been looted by Nazis.

The institution issued a statement that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to resolve issues related to WWII.

A representative remarked: Not once during the museum's possession of the painting was there any documentation that it had once belonged to the family – actually, that knowledge did not become accessible until a long time 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 artwork was considered to be of inferior standard than other works of the same type in the collection. Even though the museum respectfully stands by its position that this work entered the collection and was deaccessioned lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the institution is open to and will review any new information that emerges.

BEG's Response

William Charron representing the Goulandris Foundation said: The Goulandris Foundation is a renowned institution in Greece. The effort to sue and smear the institution and the defendants in the United States upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was already thrown out, on two occasions. We are convinced it will be once more.