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The heirs of a Jewish pair have brought a case against The Met, claiming that a Vincent van Gogh oil painting was looted by the Nazis.

Origins of the Dispute

Per the lawsuit, the Stern couple acquired the piece, titled Olive Picking, in the mid-1930s. Just one year later, they were obliged to escape their residence in the German city of Munich on the eve of WWII.

The complaint contends that the museum, which acquired the masterpiece in 1956 for one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, must have realized it was likely stolen property. The heirs are now seeking the repatriation of the painting along with damages.

Since the end of the war, this stolen artwork has been repeatedly and secretly trafficked, purchased and sold in and through New York, claims the legal filing.

The Sterns' Escape

The Sterns departed from their Munich home to America in 1936 with their large family due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Yet, they were unable to bring the Van Gogh piece, which was produced by the Dutch post-impressionist in 1889.

Prior to their departure, Nazi authorities designated the painting as property of the state and forbade the family from taking it abroad. Following authorization from a regime representative, a representative designated by the authorities sold the painting on the family's behalf. But, the money from the auction were held in a blocked account, which the Nazis later seized.

Post-War History

Around 1948, or not long after, the canvas was brought to NYC and was bought by a prominent figure, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was sold through a commercial outlet to the institution, which then passed it on to prominent shipowner the magnate and his wife, Mrs. Goulandris, in 1972.

The Goulandris pair established the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in 1979, which runs a gallery in the Greek capital where the masterpiece is currently on display.

Claims and Defenses

BEG and a surviving nephew of the magnate are named as defendants. The lawsuit alleges that the Goulandris family and its associated organizations have covered up the masterpiece's history and location from the heirs.

Currently, the foundation continue to obscure how and when the foundation came into possession of the piece; the family's possession of the Painting from the mid-1930s; and the facts that the Third Reich looted the artwork from the Stern family, forced the Sterns into disposing of it via a Nazi-appointed agent, and confiscated the proceeds of the sale.

Earlier Lawsuits

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

Institution's Statement

The lawsuit argues that the institution's buying of the artwork was sanctioned by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the institution's specialist of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi-era looted art. The curator and the museum knew or should have known that the masterpiece had almost certainly been seized by the Nazis.

The museum issued a statement that it is committed to its longstanding commitment to handle issues related to WWII.

A representative remarked: Never during the institution's custody of the piece was there any documentation that it had previously been owned to the heirs – indeed, that data did not become known until several decades after the artwork left the Met's possession.

The institution's deaccessioning of Olive Picking met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – namely, it was recorded that the work was considered to be of inferior standard than other works of the similar kind in the holdings. Even though the institution upholds its stance that this work entered the inventory and was sold legally and well within all standards and procedures, the Met welcomes and will consider any additional details that is discovered.

Goulandris Statement

William Charron on behalf of the Goulandris Foundation commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a esteemed foundation in the Greek capital. The action to litigate and defame the Foundation and the Goulandris family in the America upon deceptive and insufficient accusations was earlier rejected, twice. We are confident it will be once more.