with RJ Wade. Live at Crossed Wires. An unfinished portrait, an extraordinary life.
This episode was recorded live at the Crossed Wires podcast festival, 5 July 2026
The first unfinishing live show, in full flow at the Crossed Wires festival 2026
The first live unfinishing took place at the Crossed Wires festival 2026!
The audience had the treat of hearing the fabulous Dr RJ Wade unfurling the mysteries behind an unfished portrait held at the University of Leeds. Wade gave some brilliant insights into the unfinished nature of the portrait - the ways in which its unfinishedness changes how we interact with it, and the clues its incompleteness gives about how it was created.
The portrait, which is of the significant Victorian politician Richard Cobden, was painted by the wonderful artist Emma Aloysia Novello, likely in May 1861. Wade’s research has uncovered that Novello led an extraordinary, rich, intriguing life - travelling across Europe and maintaining her status as an artist despite the barriers presented by the gender norms of the time.
Wade’s research also, however, revealed tragic and unsettling information about the last years of Emma’s life. Two heart-breaking documents - the first admitting her to a ‘lunatic’ asylum, after which all other papers from and about her stop - and the second a record of her death.
Wade tells us about how these last years came about, but argues we should resist the temptation to see Emma’s life as ‘incomplete’. Her work, her travel, her relationships, and above all her ability to maintain her profession as an artist - all speak of a meaningful, varied, and important life.
Links of interest:
View Emma Novello’s portrait of Richard Cobden here - where you can also read about Wade’s fascinating research: The portrait | Special Collections | Library | University of Leeds
More about Wade: RJ Wade | Library | University of Leeds
The book Wade mentions, titled How to do nothing, is by Jenny Odell. Find out more here: How to do nothing: the new guide to refocusing on the real world | Life and style | The Guardian