Michelangelo Merisi, known as Caravaggio (Italian, 1571–1610). Boy bitten by a lizard, circa 1597, oil on canvas. Florence, Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | IMAGES AVAILABLE HERE
UPDATED DECEMBER 8, 2025
Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation opens April 25, 2026 at The Mint Museum
A rare opportunity to view a Caravaggio painting in the United States
CHARLOTTE, NC (December 8, 2025) — In spring 2026, The Mint Museum turns down the lights and turns up the drama with Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation, on view April 25–October 25, 2026 at Mint Museum Uptown.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, better known as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter who helped shape the Baroque style and left a lasting impact on European artists for generations. Caravaggio’s masterful painting Boy bitten by a lizard stands at the heart of the exhibition — a rare treasure among the fewer than 80 works attributed to the artist, who died at age 38.
Surrounding this centerpiece are more than 30 paintings by leading Baroque masters and Caravaggisti from across Europe, artists who absorbed and reinterpreted Caravaggio’s revolutionary style. Together, these works illuminate the extraordinary impact of his use of shadow and light, realism, and dramatic intensity on an entire generation of painters.
The works in the exhibition are on loan from the collection of Roberto Longhi, the Italian art historian who began his study of Caravaggio and his followers in the beginning of the 20th century and re-introduced Caravaggio’s influential work to the world.
From canvas to the silver screen
As part of the exhibition, visitors also can explore film and music video clips that depict how Caravaggio’s radical realism transformed not only painting but the language of modern film and photography using shadow and light, known as chiaroscuro.
“Caravaggio, in today’s world, would be considered an ‘influencer.’ The style that he developed in Rome at the beginning of the 17th century was revolutionary and influenced artists across Europe,” says Todd Herman, president and CEO of The Mint Museum. “His works are dramatic, raw, and emotional — and became a reference point for filmmakers like Martin Scorcese.”
Caravaggio | Revolution connects that 400-year-old creative spark to the imagery that defines our time. Through film clips, photographs, and commentary from modern masters, including Martin Scorsese, Isaac Julien, David LaChapelle, and Tom Hunter, as well as iconic music videos like R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” and Johnny Cash’s “Hurt,” the exhibition reveals how Caravaggio’s vision continues to shape the visual language of storytelling today.
Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation is generously presented by Bank of America and Mary Anne (M.A.) Rogers, with additional support from Pat Rodgers, and Jo Ann and Joddy Peer. Individual support is kindly provided by Marty and Weston Andress, Kelle and Len Botkin, Laura and Mike Grace, Lucy and Hooper Hardison, Stephanie S. Lynch, Posey and Mark Mealy, Milton and Marshelette Prime, Patsy M. Reames and Ron Vick, and Leigh-ann and Martin Sprock. The Mint Museum is supported in part by the City of Charlotte and North Carolina Arts Council.
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Caravaggio | Revolution: Baroque Masterpieces from the Roberto Longhi Foundation
Dates: April 25–October 25, 2026
Venue: Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts, 500 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, North Carolina
Admission: Special exhibition admission is $10 plus regular museum pricing. Mint members enjoy the exhibition for $10.
ABOUT THE LONGHI FOUNDATION
Founded in 1971 by the will of art historian Roberto Longhi (1890-1970), the Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi is dedicated to fostering art historical research based on his cultural legacy and critical method. Located in his villa “Il Tasso” in Florence, where he lived with his wife Lucia Lopresti (the writer Anna Banti) until his death, it maintains Longhi’s vast library, photo library, and art collection “for the benefit of younger generations” supporting scholars through grants, courses, and seminars.
ABOUT THE MINT MUSEUM
Established in 1936 as north Carolina’s first art museum, The Mint Museum is a leading, innovative cultural institution and museum of international art and design. With two locations — Mint Museum Randolph in the heart of Eastover and Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts — the Mint boasts one of the largest collections in the Southeast and is committed to engaging and inspiring members of the global community.
For more information, contact:
Michele Huggins, associate director of marketing and communications
michele.huggins@mintmuseum.org | 704.564.0826
Clayton Sealey, senior director of marketing and communications
clayton.sealey@mintmuseum.org | 704.534.0186