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The family members of a Jewish pair have initiated legal proceedings against New York's Metropolitan Museum, alleging that a Vincent van Gogh canvas was seized by Nazi forces.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, Hedwig and Frederick Stern acquired the piece, titled Olive Harvest, in 1935. The following year, they were forced to flee their residence in Munich, Germany on the eve of the Second World War.

The complaint contends that the institution, which acquired the masterpiece in the mid-1950s for $125,000, ought to have been aware it was likely confiscated property. The descendants are now requesting the return of the painting along with financial restitution.

In the decades since WWII, this Nazi-looted painting has been frequently and covertly traded, acquired and disposed of in and through the city of New York, states the lawsuit.

Family's Flight

The Stern family escaped from their Munich home to the United States in 1936 with their six children due to Nazi persecution. However, they were barred from transporting the Van Gogh piece, which was painted by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, the Nazi government classified the painting as German cultural property and banned the Sterns from taking it abroad. Once approved from a Nazi official, a agent appointed by the regime sold the piece on the Sterns' behalf. Yet, the money from the auction were deposited in a blocked account, which the regime later took.

Post-War History

By 1948, or not long after, the artwork arrived in New York and was bought by a wealthy American, one of America's wealthiest people. Later, it was transferred through a commercial outlet to the museum, which then transferred it to Greek shipping magnate Basil Goulandris and his partner, Elise Goulandris, in 1972.

The Greek couple founded the BEG in 1979, which runs a gallery in Athens where the painting is currently shown.

Court Allegations

BEG and a surviving nephew of the magnate are named as defendants. The legal action claims that the family and its affiliates have hidden and obscured the artwork's provenance and current place from the family.

Even now, the defendants continue to hide how and when the BEG came into control of the Painting; the Stern family's ownership of the artwork from several years; and the reality that the regime stole the Painting from the Stern family, forced the family into parting with it via a regime representative, and took the money of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

The family submitted a comparable case in California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in the following years. An appeal was also dismissed in recently.

The Met's Position

The legal action argues that the institution's buying of the painting was approved by the museum's expert, the Met's authority of European paintings and a renowned specialist on art theft during the Nazi era. The institution and its expert were aware or ought to have been aware that the masterpiece had likely been stolen by Nazis.

The museum said in a statement that it prioritizes its ongoing pledge to address Nazi-era claims.

A spokesperson stated: Not once during the museum's possession of the piece was there any evidence that it had once belonged to the heirs – in fact, that information did not become available until many years after the painting left the Museum's collection.

The institution's deaccessioning of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for disposal – in particular, it was recorded that the work was judged to be of lower caliber than additional artworks of the similar kind in the holdings. Even though the institution upholds its view that this piece entered the collection and was sold lawfully and well within all rules and regulations, the Met invites and will examine any additional details that is discovered.

Foundation's Defense

William Charron acting for BEG said: The institution is a highly prestigious organization in the Greek capital. The effort to litigate and defame the institution and the Goulandris family in the US upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was previously dismissed, twice. We are confident it will be again.