Scenery and costume designs, scale models, costumes, posters and pictures from the productions show how in the latter half of the last century, Wijnberg developed into an all-round, innovative theatre designer who had a massive impact on the development of scenography in the Netherlands. He worked for nearly all the major theatre, dance and opera companies, alongside many of the leading theatre-makers of his era. Colours on stage was compiled by curator Joke van Pelt and designed by scenographer Paul Gallis. Reinier Tweebeeke was responsible for the lighting.

Amsterdam-born Nicolaas Wijnberg (1918-2006) trained at the capital’s Grafische School and the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten. He was a painter, graphic designer, draughtsman, sculptor, illustrator and writer. But it was his stage design that really earned him public acclaim. His career in this field started after he founded the Scapino Ballet with Hans Snoek and Hans van Norden in 1945. He spent the next four decades designing scenery, costumes, lighting plans, posters and programme booklets for countless productions. Wijnberg worked together with theatre-makers including Pjotr Sjarov, Johan de Meester, Cees Laseur, Han Bentz van den Berg, Ton Lutz, Adrian Brine and Hans van Manen, at companies such as de Nederlandse Comedie, de Haagse Comedie, het Rotterdams Toneel, Zuidelijk Toneel Globe, De Nederlandse Opera, Scapino Ballet and het Nederlands Dans Theater.

Wijnberg’s stage designs were completely different from anything the Netherlands had ever seen before. Since his first foray into theatre, Wijnberg had dreamed of the power of ‘illusion that carries the audience far away from this sorry world’. He broke with traditional naturalism and began designing scenery that he described as ‘concentrated realism’ with experiments in perspective and trompe-l’oeil. ( Hoffmann’s vertellingen, 1947 ; De drie zusters, 1954 ; Moortje 1957). Later, Wijnberg gradually moved away from this realism and started to portray reality in collage-like scenery ( De Misantroop, 1958 ; Gianni Schicci, 1958 ; Cyrano de Bergerac, 1962). He turned his back on painted scenery during the last twenty years of his career, opting for three-dimensional, plain sets with the occasional eye-catching object. On the other hand, he entertained lavishly with surrealist, sometimes grotesque costumes designed to magnify the personality of the characters. In this way, Wijnberg managed to create a single overall stage design in which shape, colour, the materials of the scenery and costumes and the lighting, all combined to symbolise the subject matter of the production ( De hertogin van Malfi 1971 ; Othello 1971 ; Medea 1977 ).

As a natural progression from his work in the theatre, in 1972 Wijnberg was appointed as the first professor of scenography in the faculty he had helped to set up at the Jan van Eyckacademie in Maastricht.

The exhibition Colours on stage– scenery and costumes by Nicolaas Wijnberg was made possible thanks to the VSB fund and the VandenEnde Foundation.

More Wijnberg in 2008

To coincide with the opening of the exhibition on 22 May, Theater Instituut Nederland will be publishing the beautifully illustrated booklet Een kleurrijke parade, de scenografie van Nicolaas Wijnberg written by curator Joke van Pelt. The text of this publication comprises a chapter taken from a bulky book about Wijnberg’s complete works, which is due to be published by Uitgeverij Thoth later this year.

The Museum of Modern Art in Arnhem will also be focusing attention on Nicolaas Wijnberg this year. From 25 October 2008 until 1 February 2009, the museum will be hosting a large-scale exhibition reviewing all his private work, including paintings, drawings, graphic designs and monumental art.

Last exhibition in the Theater Museum

The exhibition about Wijnberg will be the last exhibition to be held in the Theatre Museum on the Herengracht. From 2009 onwards, the museum will be touring, collaborating with various partners, museums and cultural organisations to bring the Theater Instituut’s collection into the spotlight throughout the Netherlands.