Re-View: S422 (Ancient rotation) "The Scholar as Collector: Margarete Bieber (1879-1978)"

This installation highlights the coin collection of the German archaeologist and art historian Margarete Bieber in the context of her life and career. Born in Germany, Bieber overcame discrimination against women in academia to become a full professor at the University of Giessen in 1932, but was dismissed the next year when the Nazis judged her “of Jewish origin.” She came to the US in the mid-1930s and taught for many years at Columbia University. The collection documents Bieber’s taste and interests in portraits, sculpture, and personifications. It offers an overview of Greek and Roman coinage and is particularly strong in portraits of Roman empresses. The coins are presented with examples of Hellenistic sculpture.

Organized by Carmen Arnold-Biucchi, Damarete Curator of Ancient Coins, Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art, Harvard Art Museums, and Lecturer on the Classics, Harvard University.