PROVO, Utah (Feb. 28, 2014)—E.J. Barnes studied chemistry at Harvard and Cambridge, worked as a software engineer and now follows her artistic passions by writing and illustrating historical graphic novels .
After an impressive résumé of publications, her latest project is what brought her to Brigham Young University, where she spoke to students and faculty about her current work – creating a graphic novel about a mystery man in European history, “Count” Cagliostro.
She was drawn to Cagliostro because “he claimed to be an alchemist, claiming he could turn base metals into gold.”
After reading background information and researching his life, Barnes began to write a book. But, after writing 100 pages, she set the project aside.
Then in 2009, she attended an art residency in Vermont, where she returned Cagliostro, and decided to pursue the subject as a graphic novella.
While at the art residency, she painted 12 pages, and penciled several more. But soon she realized she was relying completely on secondary sources and wanted to do more research, which took her on a whirlwind of travels around the former Duchy of Courland, now modern-day Latvia.
In her research, she turned her attention especially to Baroness Elisabeth Charlotte Constantia von der Recke, commonly known as Elisa von der Recke, because Elisa had a personal relationship with Cagliostro. Cagliostro took Elisa under his wing, said Barnes. In fact, Elisa wrote an exposé of their experiences, unmasking him as a charlatan.
Barnes explained, “Elisa gives detailed accounts of a number of séances. He used children as mediums because Cagliostro claimed they were young enough to be innocence to the spirits.” Barnes continued to explain that at that time, Cagliostro visited Elisa’s uncle, Christopher, at an estate close to the Lithuanian border. There, “Christopher’s youngest children were part of the séances,” Barnes said.
Barnes visited Christopher’s manor, now a school, and toured the library, which is where Cagliostro held his séances. While there she found a portrait of Peter, Christopher’s youngest. The associating date proves that Peter would have been five, which according to Cagliostro, “was the ideal age for use in séances,” said Barnes. Barnes also said that her research showed that three of Christopher’s four children were documented to have participated in the séances.
Barnes also recounted when Cagliostro met Elisa’s grandmother, Constantia Ursula con Korff. After being called a charlatan, Cagliostro prophesied that Korff would die one year later while eating breakfast. “She lived another 11 years,” said Barnes.
In her presentation, Barnes showed slides documenting her research and outlining the history of Cagliostro and his associations. She explained, “I am the writer and artist, so I need to get inside the heads of the characters and understand their underlying thoughts and beliefs.”
Barnes traveled throughout Latvia and Lithuania, trying to grasp the history of Cagliostro and his surroundings. She said, “I couldn’t trust the accuracy of photos.” As the writer and artist, she “sought not just the narrative of their relationship, but also needs to see the likeness of the people and the appearance of the scenery.”
In her research, she even reached out to BYU associate professor of German Studies Michelle James, who had been researching the Recke family for the past 10 years. “Her research is more visual,” James said, “But we have to rely on the same history so we’ve been sharing information back and forth.”
James suggested Barnes come to BYU so James and her students could interview her on her research on Recke and allow Barnes to give a lecture on her upcoming project.
Barnes said this project on Cagliostro will likely be a 120-page graphic novel.
More information on Barnes can be found at her website.
—Stephanie Bahr Bentley BA’ English ’14