Lea Cline
Professor of Art History
Wonsook Kim School of Art
Office
CVA Center For Visual Arts 203c
Office Hours
Variable per semester
Office Phone
Email
- About
- Education
- Awards & Honors
- Research
Biography
Dr. Cline is Professor of Art History, Affiliate Faculty of Women’s and Gender Studies, and Assistant Director of the European Studies program. She is currently the area coordinator for Art History in the Wonsook Kim School of Art and the Student Program Advisor for the U.S. Fulbright Program. Dr. Cline is also the co-founder and co-director of the ISU in Italy: Orvieto study abroad program and the Valle Gianni archaeological field school.
Cline earned her doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin in Roman Art and Architecture in 2013.
Cline was a Fulbright scholar to Italy in 2007, and has taught American students in Italy with the University of Georgia, the University of Texas, and Southern Methodist University. Before coming to ISU, Dr. Cline worked at Yale University Art Gallery (Coins and Medals) and the University of Florida (Art History). She joined the faculty at ISU as an Assistant Professor of Art History in the fall of 2012.
Current Courses
ART 304.001 Seminar in Ancient and Medieval Art and Architecture: Pompeii
ART 404.001 Seminar in Ancient and Medieval Art and Architecture: Pompeii
ART 311.001 Seminar in Visual Culture, History, and Theory: Gender & Identity in Art and Visual Culture
ART 411.001 Seminar: Gender & Identity in Art and Visual Culture
ART 155.001 Survey Of Art I
ART 155.002 Survey Of Art I
Teaching Interests & Areas
Imperial Roman Art and Archaeology; Domestic Decoration (Wall Painting, Mosaics); Material Culture Studies; Sacred Architecture
Research Interests & Areas
Imperial Roman Art and Archaeology; Domestic Decoration (Wall Painting, Mosaics); Material Culture Studies; Sacred Architecture
PhD Roman Art and Architecture
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
MA Art History (Roman)
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
BA
Trinity University
San Antonio, Texas
Outstanding University Service Award
Illinois State University
2023
Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Outstanding Research Award
Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
2022
Ken Holder Endowed Professor of Art
Wonsook Kim School of Art
2020
Loeb Classical Library Foundation Fellowship
Harvard University
2018
Office of International Studies and Programs, Internationalization Award
Illinois State University
2017
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning University Research Grant
Illinois State University
2017
University Teaching Initiative Award
Illinois State University
2016
Office of International Studies and Program, International Travel Grant
Illinois State University
2015
University Service Initiative Award
Illinois State University
2015
Günther Stamm Prize for Excellence
Department of Art History, Florida State University
2008
Fulbright Fellowship, Italy
Fulbright U.S. Student Program (U.S. Department of State)
2006
Summer Seminar Felllow
American Numismatic Society, New York
2004
Etruscan Foundation Fieldwork Fellowship
Etruscan Foundation
2003
Fondazione Lemmerman, Research Fellowship
Fondazione Lemmerman
2003
Grants & Contracts
Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS). Illinois State University Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Illinois State University. (2025)
Advancing Research and Creative Scholarship (ARCS). Illinois State University Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Illinois State University. (2023)
University Research Grant. WKCFA. Illinois State University. (2023)
University Research Grant. Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. Illinois State University. (2023)
University Research Grant. Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. Illinois State University. (2022)
Northwest Bolsena Archaeological Project: Valle Gianni Survey. Rust Family Foundation. Private. (2021)
Book Review
Cline, L. Review of Oxford Handbook of Roman Imagery and Iconograpjy (2023)
Book, Chapter
Cline, L. Pavements and Mosaics at Villa A. John Clarke and Nayla Muntasser (EDs), Villa A (“of Poppaea”) at Torre Annunziata, Italy (Oplontis), 50 B.C.-A.D. 79. American Council of Learned Societies (2018)
Book, Edited
Cline, L. Oxford Handbook of Roman Imagery and Iconography,. Lea Cline and Nathan Elkins (EDs). Oxford University Press (2022): 552.
Conference Proceeding
Cline, L. Paint on Floors, Stone on Walls: Renovation, Style Chronologies, and Surface Value in the Decorative Schemes at Villa A, Oplontis (Torre Annunziata, Italy). Luz Neria Jiménez (EDs), Actes du XIIIe Colloque l’Association Internationale pour l’Etude de la Mosaïque Antique (Madrid, Spain, September 14-18, 2015) (2017)
Cline, L. Imitation vs. Reality: Zebra Stripe Paintings and Imitation Marble in the late Fourth Style at Oplontis. Norbert Zimmerman (EDs), Actes du XIe Colloque de l’Association Internationale pour la Peinture Murale Antique (Ephesos 13-27 September, 2010) (2014)
Cline, L. Surface Matters: New Evidence for the Treatment of Roman Pavements. Actes du XIIe Colloque l’Association Internationale pour l’Etude de la Mosaïque Antique (Venice, Italy, 11-15 September 2012). Association Internationale pour l’Etude de la Mosaïque Antique (2014)
Cline, L. New Light on Mosaic Metrics: Research at Villa A, Torre Annunziata, Italy, 50 B.C. – A.D. 79. Mustafa Şahin (EDs), Acts of the 11th International Colloquium on Ancient Mosaics (2012): 247-258.
Journal Article
Jasper, K., Cline, L., Rask, K., & Stone, A. Interim Report on the Valle Gianni Excavation, the Northwest Bolsena Archaeological Project (NBAP), 2021-2024. FOLD&R. Fasti Online Documents & Research, Italy 606 (2025): 1-24.
Jasper, K., Mikulec, E., & Cline, L. “ ‘I can navigate the world’: Student Reflections of Study Abroad - Evidence from One University Campus.”. The Journal for Research and Practice in College Teaching 4.1 (2019): 84-109.
Cline, L. Painted Pavements: Illusion and Imitation at Villa A (“of Poppea”) at Oplontis. Sarah Lepinski and Susanna McFadden (EDs). Selected Papers in Ancient Art and Architecture, Archaeological Institute of America 1 (2015)
Cline, L. Rising from the Ashes: The Arae Incendii Neroniani in New Flavian Rome. ATHANOR XXVII (2009): 15-24.
Presentations
Acqua, Vino e Marmo: i risultati recenti delle indagini a Valle Gianni (Gradoli). Sviluppo sostenibile tra conoscenza, tutela e valorizzazione. Primi risultati dei progetti PNRR. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy). (2025)
Exploring the Colors of the House of Many Colors at Olynthos. Association Internationale pour la Peinture Murale Antique. Association Internationale pour la Peinture Murale Antique. (2025)
White marbles and coloured ornamental stones from the Roman nymphaeum of the Valle Gianni archaeological site (Gradoli, Viterbo). Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologica-Società Geologica Italiana Joint Congress. Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologica-Società Geologica Italiana. (2025)
Riprese delle indagini nel sito di Valle Gianni (Gradoli). Cosa C'e Sotto? Scoperte archeologiche intorno al Lago. Museo Territoriale del Lago di Bolsena. (2022)
From the Ground Up: New Evidence for the Treatment of Roman Pavements at Oplontis (Villa A). Archaeological Institute of America. (2021)
Function and Fakery in the Floors of Villa A (Oplontis). Materiality as Décor: Aesthetics, Semantics, and Function. Christian-Albrechts-Universität. (2020)
Art, Illusion, and Slavery in the Roman Villa. Art Institute of Chicago. (2019)
Assessing Student Learning Outcomes of Participating in Study Abroad Programs at ISU. Center for Teaching and Learning, Annual Symposium. Illinois State University. (2019)
A Learning Culture through Learning Culture: Campus-Wide Outcomes of Participating in Study Abroad. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. (2018)
Art, Illusion, and Control: The Slave and the Roman Villa. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Department of Art History. (2018)
Art, Illusion, and Control: The Slave and the Roman Villa. Illinois Classics Conference. Northwestern University. (2018)
Life and Art in a Roman Villa: Locating the Slave in the Villa at Oplontis. Loyola University, Department of Classics. (2018)
When Dictators Die: The Altar and Column of Caesar in the Forum Romanum. Faculty Research Colloquium. School of Art, Illinois State University. (2017)
Art, Illusion, and Control: the Slave and the Roman Villa. Midwest Art History Society. University of Illinois-Chicago. (2016)
Leavin’ on Jet Plane: Student Engagement and Academic Rigor in the Study Abroad Classroom. Center for Teaching and Learning, Annual Conference. (2015)
Paint on Floors, Stone on Walls: Renovation, Style Chronologies, and Surface Value in the Decorative Schemes at Villa A, Oplontis (Torre Annunziata, Italy). Association Internationale pour l’Étude de la Mosaïque Antique. (2015)
Space, Kinesthetic Address, and the Slave Body at Oplontis. Northern Illinois University. (2015)
Taking Learning on the Road: Field Trips and the Humanities. Center for Teaching and Learning, Annual Conference. (2014)
Death and the Altar: The Altar and Column of Caesar in the Forum Romanum. Archaeological Institute of America, Annual Meeting. (2013)
Life and Art in a Roman Villa: Locating the Slave in the Villa at Oplontis (Torre Annunziata, Italy). University of the South. (2013)
Little Altars Everywhere: Sacrificial Altars in Roman Wall Painting. Association Internationale pour la Peinture Murale Antique. (2013)
Public/private, slave/owner: Locating the Slave at Oplontis. Public and Private in the Roman House and Society. New York University. (2012)
Surface Matters: New Evidence for the Treatment of Roman Pavements. Association Internationale pour la Peinture Murale Antique. (2012)