🔗 Share this article New York's Met Museum Faces Lawsuit Over Reportedly Nazi-Stolen Van Gogh Painting The descendants of a Jewish spouses have initiated legal proceedings against The Metropolitan Museum of Art, claiming that a the Dutch artist oil painting was stolen by the Third Reich. Origins of the Dispute Per the lawsuit, Frederick and Hedwig Stern purchased the artwork, titled Olive Picking, in the year 1935. The following year, they were forced to flee their residence in Munich prior to WWII. The complaint states that the Met, which purchased the artwork in the 1950s for a significant sum, should have known it was probably stolen property. The family are now requesting the return of the painting along with damages. Since the end of World War II, this plundered piece has been frequently and covertly traded, bought and sold in and through New York, claims the court document. Forced Emigration Hedwig and Frederick Stern escaped from the city of Munich to California in the late 1930s with their offspring due to the oppressive Nazi regime. Yet, they were unable to bring the artwork, which was created by the celebrated artist in the late 19th century. Before they left, Nazi authorities designated the masterpiece as German cultural property and banned the couple from bringing it with them. Following authorization from a regime representative, a trustee assigned by the Nazis disposed of the artwork on the couple's behalf. However, the money from the transaction were held in a frozen account, which the Nazis later confiscated. Subsequent Ownership By 1948, or shortly after, the painting entered the United States and was acquired by a wealthy American, among the richest individuals in the US. Subsequently, it was exchanged through a gallery to the Met, which then transferred it to prominent shipowner the magnate and his spouse, Elise, in the early 1970s. The Greek couple set up the Goulandris Foundation in the late 1970s, which runs a gallery in Athens, Greece where the masterpiece is currently exhibited. Court Allegations The institution and a family member of the magnate are identified in the suit. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants and its related entities have covered up the artwork's provenance and location from the heirs. Even now, the foundation continue to conceal the circumstances the BEG came into ownership of the artwork; the family's possession of the artwork from several years; and the reality that the Nazis stole the canvas from the Stern family, forced the family into selling it via a regime representative, and seized the funds of the transaction. Prior Cases The family filed a comparable case in California in the year 2022, but it was rejected in the following years. An further action was also rejected in recently. Museum's Response The lawsuit states that the institution's buying of the artwork was approved by Theodore Rousseau Jr, the museum's curator of European art and a renowned specialist on Nazi art looting. The curator and the museum were aware or ought to have been aware that the artwork had probably been stolen by the regime. The institution issued a statement that it prioritizes its longstanding commitment to address Nazi-era claims. A representative remarked: At no time during The Met's ownership of the piece was there any evidence that it had earlier been possessed to the heirs – actually, that knowledge did not become accessible until many years after the masterpiece left the Museum's collection. The Met's sale of the artwork met the Met's guidelines for removal from collection – namely, it was noted that the piece was judged to be of lower caliber than other pieces of the similar kind in the collection. While The Met upholds its position that this work entered the collection and was removed properly and well within all standards and procedures, the museum welcomes and will consider any additional details that is discovered. Foundation's Defense A lawyer acting for BEG commented: The Goulandris Foundation is a esteemed foundation in Greece. The attempt to litigate and defame the institution and the Goulandris family in the US upon misleadingly incomplete allegations was previously dismissed, twice. We are confident it will be a third time.