In the late 20th century, painter and illustrator Janez Vidic decorated many Maribor buildings with wall paintings fashioned in a variety of techniques. Many facilities were schools, for which he also adapted the motifs. His 1962 Youth composition is located in the staff room of the Franc Rozman Stane Elementary School. Vidic set in the foreground the figures of two schoolboys and a muscular horse, which may be interpreted as a symbol of youth and strength. The composition expresses playfulness and a fairy tale–like quality, a fantasy world which the artist conveyed so well through numerous illustrations of stories for children and young people. The deep dark background contrasts with light golden accents and the thin lines of the filigreed drawing give the piece a magical appearance. It is an image of an intact, innocent world as seen by children, who are depicted in harmony with flora and fauna. A boy and a girl are running while playing, as a horse and birds observe the event. The motif of children playing was also repeated by Vidic when creating the painting on the wall of another Maribor school, the Angel Besednjak Elementary School. (Nike Duh, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual guide; The investment is co–financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)

Painter Janez Vidic used many techniques in his work but he is best known for his illustrations. A somewhat overlooked but just as masterful part of his oeuvre is his numerous wall paintings, with which Vidic decorated public spaces throughout Slovenia, but particularly in Maribor and its surrounding areas. In 1967, Vidic created a coloured scratch piece with a fantasy veduta for the then Savings Bank of Maribor. The condensed composition depicted some of the most recognizable Maribor buildings: Maribor Cathedral and Castle, the Town Hall, the Judgement and Water Towers and the stopping place on the River Drava, the Venice of Maribor. The composition also includes the local coat of arms, which he fashioned based on a signet of the 14th century for the Municipality of Maribor. Maribor was a frequent motif in his work, which he also depicted in the nearby Mladinska Knjiga bookshop, where he chose a different, more drawing–like approach. The entire lower section of the painting, which includes depictions of the buildings on Lent by the river Drava, is covered up now, and the scratch piece in the upper left corner is barely visible due to the newly lowered ceiling. Today the premises belong to a commercial chain that does not consider the wall painting to be an important work. Because this type of attitude towards our art heritage is so prevalent, it is necessary for people to internalize their importance. Only then will the attitude towards art in public space change. (Nike Duh, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual guide; The investment is co–financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)

Academically–trained painter Janez Vidic, best known for his book illustrations, is also the co–author of many wall paintings in Maribor. The scratch piece, now in extremely poor condition, was created in the 1960s for the Košuta children’s footwear shop. The purpose of the space explains the selection of a playful fantasy composition with round–shaped treetops and large, dynamically depicted birds. Vidic also included motifs of flowers, and the Sun and the Moon, which are present throughout his oeuvre. In spite of the golden–coloured feathers, he remained faithful to his distinctive darker colours. The mural is only partially preserved today. Due to the change in ownership of the building on Gosposka Street, we cannot exactly determine when the mural was damaged. In the 1990s, the preserved fragment was partially covered by an undulating brick wall, to which the author consented, and was later removed in 2019. Wall paintings in public spaces are a particularly endangered aspect of art heritage. They are frequently destroyed without the knowledge of the (professional) public, who are only notified when it is too late. The preserved section of Vidic’s wall painting therefore serves as a reminder of the problem of the destruction of public art, while at the same time indicating the outline of the entire piece, thus remaining in people’s minds. (Nike Duh, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual guide; The investment is co–financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)

Academically–trained painter and children’s book illustrator Janez Vidic created interior wall paintings for several clients in the Štajerska region. In 1985 he created a scratch piece in the interior of today’s regional Radio and Television Centre (RTV) near Pekrska gorca, where at the time Radio Maribor started to broadcast. The design gives the appearance of a divided space – an illuminated interior and the dark outside world. A girl is gazing through a window and observing events from a safe and sunlit shelter. Unfolding in front of her is a curious night scene with a bat, carnival figure (kurent), rooster and several other objects. The wall painting is characterised by intricate drawing, which is most noticeable in the various patterns used to fill previously empty surfaces. The scratch piece gives the impression of a puzzle or a mosaic, and is in parts reminiscent of painted beehive panels. In his work Vidic regularly included motifs that were rooted in Slovenian folklore. Most frequent are depictions of roosters, bouquets of flowers and vernacular clocks. With the selected motifs the artist adapted the composition’s content to the users of the space who are engaged in the field of culture. (Nike Duh, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual guide; The investment is co–financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund

The academically–trained artist Janez Vidic, best known for his illustrations, decorated many Maribor buildings with wall paintings. In 1955, Vidic and his wife Ida finished the scratch piece in the Maribor hospital unit at Slivniško Pohorje, in the department dedicated to the partisan doctor Dušan Mravlje. The piece depicts the national liberation struggle, but does not portray a particular event. The depiction of a wounded man is directly related to the purpose of the space that houses the mural. The motif can also be linked to the partisan hospital Jesen, which was active during World War II not far from the location of today’s hospital. Vidic’s approach to the motif most likely stems from his own experience with the partisans. The work portrays camaraderie or brotherhood, which is expressed through the aid given to the wounded man, the consolation of the desperate wife and the offering of a loaf of bread. The artist achieved a monochrome effect through the use of various shades of brown, while the design is reminiscent of his partisan graphics created for posters and propaganda leaflets. The composition does not depict the people of that time. Vidic designed the figures with very few portrait characteristics and in a highly idealized manner; they stand upright, appear physically fit, without wounds and with clothes intact. In his partisan era artwork, he particularly emphasized the heroic figure type. (Nike Duh, in the framework of the Creative Path to Knowledge project, Virtual guide; The investment is co–financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Social Fund)