A 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that Yale University owns Vincent van Gogh's 1888 painting "The Night Café." Pierre Konowaloff had claimed that the work was taken from his great-grandfather Ivan Morozov's collection during the 1918 Bolshevik revolution which nationalized property.

In 2014, the case was ruled in favor of Yale under the act-of-state doctrine, which bars U.S. courts from ruling on the actions of foreign governments.

Konowaloff's lawyer said he was "shocked" by the court's decision.

"The Night Cafe" has been at the Connecticut institution for about 50 years and hangs in the Yale University Art Gallery.