Meet Frida Kahlo’s siblings: a look at her sisters and their role in her life
Frida Kahlo, one of the greatest artists the world ever had, was raised alongside seven siblings— four full siblings and three half-siblings. While she was famous and a lot has been written about her works, not much is known about Frida Kahlo’s siblings, who in various ways influenced her personal and professional life.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Frida Kahlo had seven siblings: four full siblings and three half-siblings from her father’s previous marriage.
- Despite having personal challenges, her youngest sister Cristina was her closest sibling, who directly and indirectly influenced some of her artworks.
- The Mexican artist had one brother, Wilhelm Kahlo y Calderón, who passed away in 1906, shortly after he was born.
Profile summary
| Full name | Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 6 July 1907 |
| Date of death | 13 July 1954 |
| Age | 47 years old (as of date of death) |
| Zodiac sign | Cancer |
| Place of birth | Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height in feet | 5'4" |
| Height in centimetres | 160 |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Mother | Matilde Calderón y González |
| Father | Guillermo Kahlo |
| Siblings | 7 |
| School | Escuela Nacional Preparatoria |
| Profession | Painter |
Who are Frida Kahlo’s siblings?
Born on 6 July 1907 in Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico to Matilde Calderón y González and Guillermo Kahlo, Frida Kahlo was the fourth child of the couple’s five children. Besides her four full siblings, she had three half-siblings born from her father’s previous relationship with María Cardeña, making the total number of siblings seven. Below is a look at each of her siblings.
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1. María Luisa Kahlo Cardeña
María Luisa Kahlo Cardeña is the eldest child of Guillermo Kahlo, born from his first marriage with Maria Cardeña Espiña. She was born on 9 September 1894 in Azcapotzalco, Mexico City, Mexico. Maria spent most of her childhood in a convent, where she was taken after her father married a second wife.
She had little contact with her half-siblings from her father’s second marriage, but they built closer bonds later in life. Much of her personal life is unknown, except that she was married to a man named Jose Jesus Escanes, in April 1917 and they did not have children. Maria died on 19 January 1989, aged 94.
2. Maria Kahlo Cárdeña
Maria Kahlo Cárdeña was born in 1896 and was Guillermo Kahlo’s second child and Frida Kahlo’s second eldest half-sibling. Unfortunately, there isn’t much about her, as she died a few days after her birth.
3. Margarita Kahlo y Cardeña
Margarita Kahlo y Cardeña is Guillermo Kahlo’s child from his marriage with Maria Cardeña Espiña, born on 5 October 1897. Unfortunately, Maria Cardeña Espiña passed away during Margarita’s birth. Six months after Maria’s demise, Guillermo Kahlo married his second wife, Matilde Calderón y González.
Margarita, only six months old, alongside her older sister, Maria, were sent to be raised in a convent. She did not have close ties to her father’s second family, until later in life when they connected. Unfortunately, she passed away on 15 February 1988, aged 90.
4. Matilde Kahlo Calderón
Matilde was the eldest child of Matilde Calderón y González and Guillermo Kahlo, born in 1899. As Frida’s eldest sister, she reportedly played an important role in shaping the artist’s upbringing, and the two sisters share a close bond.
She married Emilio Augusto Roberto Baumbach on 27 January 1917, but it is unknown if she had any children. Unfortunately, Matilde passed away in 1951, aged 52, after battling leukaemia for a while. Her demise was a huge loss to Frida, and it later significantly influenced her artistic expression.
5. Adriana Kahlo Calderón
Source: UGC
Adriana Kahlo Calderón was Frida Kahlo’s second-eldest full sibling, born in 1902 from Matilde Calderón y González and Guillermo Kahlo’s marriage. Even though not much is known about her life, she is believed to have been one of the key figures that influenced Frida’s perspective on life and culture.
Adriana was married to Alberto Ybar Veraza, with whom she had three children. She reportedly died on 22 Mar 1968, aged 66.
6. Wilhelm Kahlo y Calderón
Wilhelm Kahlo y Calderón was the only son of Matilde Calderón y González and Guillermo Kahlo, born in 1906. Unfortunately, he did not have a long life, dying shortly after his birth.
7. Cristina Kahlo
Source: Getty Images
Cristina, the youngest in Frida Kahlo’s family, was born on 7 June 1908. She had a close, but complex relationship with Frida and was often featured in the artist’s painting. An alleged affair between Cristina and Frida’s husband, Diego Rivera, jeopardised the sister’s relationship, but they later buried the hatchet.
After reconciling their differences, Cristina lived with Frida and took care of her towards the end of her life when she ailed. Frida Kahlo’s youngest full sister was married to Antonio Pineda, and they had two children: Isolda P. Kahlo and Antonio Pinedo Kahlo. She passed away on 8 February 1964, aged 55.
A novel by Bárbara Mujica, titled Frida, published in 2001, narrates Frida Kahlo’s story from Cristina’s point of view.
FAQs
- Who were Frida Kahlo’s parents? The legendary artist was born from Matilde Calderón y González and Guillermo Kahlo’s marriage. Her mother was Mexican, while her father was a German photographer of Hungarian descent.
- Did Frida have 3 sisters? Yes. She had three full sisters: Matilde Kahlo Calderón, Adriana Kahlo Calderón, and Cristina Kahlo.
- How many siblings did Frida Kahlo have? The Mexican painter had seven siblings: three half-siblings and four full siblings.
- Who was Frida Kahlo's closest sister? The artist was closest to her youngest sister, Cristina Kahlo. Although they had personal challenges, including Cristina’s affair with Frida’s husband, they had a strong bond which they maintained until Frida’s demise.
- Did Frida Kahlo’s siblings influence her art? Yes. Her artwork was partly influenced by her relationships with her siblings, especially Cristina. Family themes, personal pain, and betrayal often appeared in her paintings, reflecting her complex family dynamics.
- Are there any famous artworks featuring Frida Kahlo’s siblings? The artist used her younger sister, Cristina, as a direct and indirect subject of some of her paintings. One such famous piece of art is the Portrait of Cristina, My Sister.
- Are all Frida Kahlo’s sisters alive today? All the artist’s siblings have passed away, with the last one, María Luisa Kahlo Cardeña, dying on 19 January 1989, aged 94.
- What happened in Frida Kahlo’s childhood? In her formative years, she had multiple health challenges, including suffering a bout of polio, which left her with a slight limp, and she had an accident that caused severe injuries.
Frida Kahlo’s siblings played a crucial part in her life, shaping her experiences, emotions, and artistic inspirations. Although she was not close to some of them, their subtle yet significant role in her journey as an artist cannot be overlooked.
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