A World Within Reach: Greek and Roman Art from the Loeb Collection

A World Within Reach invites visitors to explore the experiences and imaginations of people who lived in the Mediterranean basin some 2,000 to 2,500 years ago. Clay and bronze depictions of ordinary people (with a few gods and heroes as well), small-scale animal sculptures, and stunning jewelry are all arranged under three themes—power, desire, and wonder—reflecting human concerns then and now.

The more than 60 ancient Greek and Roman objects at the core of this exhibition are drawn from the collection of James Loeb (1867–1933), who graduated from Harvard College in 1888. Convinced that ancient literature could enrich contemporary lives, he established the Loeb Classical Library. This series, now published by Harvard University Press, makes ancient Greek and Roman texts widely accessible by placing them side by side with their English translations. The objects from the Loeb Collection have come to Cambridge with the generous collaboration of Munich’s Staatliche Antikensammlungen und Glyptothek, where they reside today.