Cicero Greathouse was a man of many talents who led an enviable life living in beautiful places with a wonderful woman, doing what he loved and inspiring those who knew him.
A young portrait of the handsome artist. (Photo: Courtesy of Marjorie Mobley)
Pol.y.math – noun, a person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning
No matter where one lives there are always creative talented people. These people could work successfully in any major city but for whatever reason found themselves in smaller locales. Orlando is no different as Cicero Greathouse was one of those people. He was a gifted writer, a licensed contractor, an illustrator, a printmaker, a sculptor, a senior art director at Disney Imagineering, and a builder of distinctive homes. Cicero was not a trained architect just knowledgable and passionate about home design. He designed homes for himself and for some lucky enough to be his friend. Above all, however, Cicero was a painter.
Que Throm and Cicero Greathouse at home in San Miguel de Allende, April 2019.
His paintings were abstract reflections of his travels and landscapes, particularly those of Florida where he lived for most of his life. He was born in Japan and lived in Germany for some years as a child. That instilled in him a love of travel and foreign experiences. In addition to traveling to many far flung parts of the world, Cicero and his wife lived part of the year in San Miguel de Allende. There they built two homes. The last they just recently completed.
Cicero’s drafting of their Orlando house.
As always, artists have the best homes.
Que Throm Greathouse, Cicero’s wife, is also an artist. Each of their homes included two studios, one for him, one for her. Their homes were works of art in themselves. I often write here that I love artists’ homes as they are unique, personal, and bold. Their homes were no exception. A group of my friends traveled to San Miguel in the spring of 2019. Que and Cicero had mostly finished their new home minus a few lingering details. It was a huge treat to spend time with them there and tour their home.
Untitled, acrylic on canvas.
It was always special to be with Que and Cicero as they are such lovely, interesting, talented people. Cicero was soft spoken but was fascinating. He was thoughtful with his words and generous with his knowledge. He was gracious, elegant, and stylish. Whatever he undertook he did so in a unique creative way that was inspirational. Although he is no longer with us, his creativity lives on through his paintings, homes, and other artworks.
An early work by Cicero Greathouse from his student days.
To see Cicero’s work visit the Art and History Museums Maitland now through September 20 to view his beautiful paintings and learn more about this singular artist.
The exhibit of cicero greathouse An Artist’s Journey, A&H Museums Maitland.
An ofrenda for Cicero adds a touch of México, their second home which they loved so much.
Portrait of Cicero Greathouse by Carolyn Hogy Kent.
To see early photos of the Greathouse home in San Miguel de Allende see here. To learn more about the Art & History Museums Maitland see here.
Casa V Interiors can give your home artistic flair.