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The family members of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, asserting that a the Dutch artist oil painting was seized by the Nazis.

Case History

As stated in the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern acquired the painting, titled Gathering Olives, in the mid-1930s. A year after, they were forced to flee their home in the German city of Munich prior to WWII.

The legal action contends that the Met, which acquired the painting in the mid-1950s for a significant sum, must have realized it was probably confiscated property. The descendants are now seeking the restitution of the canvas along with compensation.

Following the war, this plundered piece has been often and discreetly exchanged, purchased and sold in and through the city of New York, states the lawsuit.

Forced Emigration

Hedwig and Frederick Stern fled from the city of Munich to California in 1936 with their six children due to persecution by the Nazis. Yet, they were unable to bring the painting, which was produced by the renowned Dutch in 1889.

Prior to their departure, Nazi authorities designated the masterpiece as property of the state and prohibited the couple from exporting it. Once approved from a regime representative, a trustee assigned by the regime auctioned the painting on the family's behalf. But, the proceeds from the sale were deposited in a blocked account, which the Nazis later confiscated.

Subsequent Ownership

By 1948, or shortly after, the artwork entered New York and was purchased by a wealthy American, a member of the Astor family. Eventually, it was exchanged through a commercial outlet to the Met, which then sold it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his wife, Mrs. Goulandris, in the early 1970s.

Basil and Elise set up the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which manages a gallery in Athens, Greece where the artwork is currently exhibited.

Legal Arguments

The foundation and a family member of the magnate are named as defendants. The legal action states that the family and its associated organizations have concealed and disguised the painting's ownership and whereabouts from the heirs.

To this day, the defendants continue to hide the circumstances the BEG came into control of the piece; the family's possession of the masterpiece from the mid-1930s; and the reality that the regime looted the canvas from the family, forced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and took the money of the transaction.

Previous Legal Action

The descendants submitted a comparable case in CA in recently, but it was dismissed in 2024. An further action was also denied in May 2025.

Museum's Response

The legal action states that the institution's buying of the artwork was authorized by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European paintings and one of the world's foremost experts on Nazi-era looted art. The institution and its expert knew or should have known that the Painting had almost certainly been looted by Nazis.

The Met responded that it takes seriously its ongoing pledge to address Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson remarked: Not once during the institution's custody of the artwork was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the heirs – actually, that information did not become available until many years after the artwork left the Museum's collection.

The Met's sale of the artwork met the museum's strict criteria for disposal – in particular, it was noted that the artwork was deemed to be of lower caliber than other works of the similar kind in the holdings. Even though the institution upholds its stance that this piece entered the holdings and was removed lawfully and well within all standards and procedures, the institution invites and will examine any further evidence that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

Legal counsel representing the foundation said: The institution is a highly prestigious organization in the Greek capital. The effort to litigate and defame the Foundation and the family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was previously dismissed, on two occasions. We are confident it will be once more.