Frida Kahlo’s Siblings: A Family Portrait

Frida Kahlo, the famous Mexican painter, was born on July 6, 1907, in Coyoacán, a village on the outskirts of Mexico City.

She was the third of four daughters of Guillermo Kahlo, a German photographer of Hungarian descent, and Matilde Calderón y González, a Mexican woman of Spanish and Native American ancestry.

Frida also had three step-siblings from her father’s previous marriage to Maria Cardeña Espiña, who died giving birth to the youngest one.

In this article, we will explore the lives and relationships of Frida Kahlo’s siblings, who influenced her artistic and personal development.

A picture of Frida Kahlo[photo courtesy: Artnet news]
Frida Kahlo’s siblings were an important part of her life and art.[photo courtesy: Artnet news]

María Luisa Kahlo Cardeña: Frida Kahlo’s First Step-Sister

DATE OF BIRTH: September 9, 1894, in Tacubaya, Mexico City

DIED AT AGE OF: 94 years old, on January 19, 1989

Her parents were Guillermo Kahlo, a German photographer, and Maria Cardeña Espiña, a Mexican woman.

She was only 20 years old when she gave birth to María Luisa, and her husband was 22. María Luisa had two younger step-sisters, María and Margarita, who were born in 1896 and 1897 respectively. Sadly, their mother died while delivering Margarita, and the three girls were sent to a convent to be raised.

María Luisa grew up to be a beautiful and elegant woman. She married José Jesús Escanes, a Mexican citizen, in April 1917.

They did not have any children of their own, but they were fond of their nieces and nephews from Guillermo Kahlo’s second marriage to Matilde Calderón y González. One of them was Frida Kahlo, the famous painter, who often visited them at their home.

María Luisa lived a long and peaceful life. She died in Azcapotzalco, another neighborhood of Mexico City. She was 94 years old when she passed away.

María was buried in Mexico City, but the exact location of her grave is unknown.

She was Frida Kahlo’s first step-sister, and one of the few relatives who supported her artistic career.

Maria Kahlo Cardena: A Short-Lived Step-Sister of Frida Kahlo

DATE OF BIRTH: 1896

DIED AT AGE OF: Passed away shortly after her birth

Maria Kahlo Cardena was born to Guillermo Kahlo and Maria Cardeña Espiña, Frida Kahlo’s father and his first wife.

She was their second daughter, but she did not survive for long. She passed away shortly after her birth, leaving behind a grieving family. Her birthplace and burial place are unknown.

She was Frida Kahlo’s second step-sister, but Frida never got to meet her.

Maria Kahlo Cardena’s life was brief and tragic, but she is still part of Frida Kahlo’s family history.

Margarita Kahlo y Cardeña: A Step-Sister of Frida Kahlo Raised in a Convent

DATE OF BIRTH: October 5, 1897

DIED AT AGE OF: 1988 at the age of 90

A picture of Margarita Kahlo y Cardeña[photo courtesy: archrobrand]
Margarita Kahlo y Cardeña[photo courtesy: archrobrand]
Margarita Kahlo y Cardeña was the youngest daughter of Guillermo Kahlo and Maria Cardeña Espiña, who died giving birth to her in 1897. She was born in Mexico City, where her father was a renowned photographer of German origin.

Her mother was a Mexican woman of Spanish and Native American ancestry.

After her mother’s death, Margarita and her two older step-sisters, María Luisa and María, were sent to a convent to be educated and cared for.

They were separated from their father and their four half-siblings from his second marriage to Matilde Calderón y González, Frida Kahlo’s mother. Margarita was only six months old when she entered the convent, and María Luisa was three years old.

Margarita grew up to be a devout and gentle woman. She married Antonio Pinedo, a Mexican citizen, and had two children with him.

Margarita maintained a cordial relationship with her father and her half-siblings, especially Frida, who often visited her and painted her portrait.

She died in 1988 at the age of 90 and was buried in Panteón Español, a cemetery in Mexico City. She was Frida Kahlo’s third step-sister, and one of the few who supported her artistic career.

Matilde Kahlo Calderón: Frida Kahlo’s First Sister

DATE OF BIRTH: 1899 in Mexico City

DIED AT AGE OF: Age of 51, in 1951

A picture of Matilde Kahlo Calderón[photo courtesy: Oldest]
Matilde Kahlo Calderón[photo courtesy: Oldest]
Matilde Kahlo Calderón was the first sister of Frida Kahlo. She was born in Mexico City in 1899, to Guillermo Kahlo, a German photographer, and María Matilde Calderón González, a Mexican woman of Spanish and Native American descent.

Her father was 28 years old and her mother was 25 years old when she was born.

In 1917, Matilde married Emilio Augusto Roberto Baumbach Grichte, a German citizen, in San Juan Bautista, a church in Coyoacán, Mexico City. However, their marriage did not last long. Matilde later divorced him and remarried Francisco Hernández.

She passed away in Mexico City, the same city where she was born.

She was buried in Panteón Jardín de Los Ángeles, a cemetery in Apodaca, Nuevo León. S

he was Frida Kahlo’s first sister, and one of the closest to her.

Frida often painted her portrait and accompanied her to parties and events.

Adriana Kahlo Calderón: A Sister of Frida Kahlo with a Passion for Art and Politics

DATE OF BIRTH: 1902 in Mexico City

DIED AT AGE OF: March 22, 1968

Adriana Kahlo Calderón was born in Mexico City, as the second daughter of Guillermo Kahlo, a German photographer, and María Matilde Calderón González, a Mexican woman of Spanish and Native American descent.

She was Frida Kahlo’s second sister, and shared her interest in art and politics.

Adriana married Alberto Ybar Veraza, a Mexican citizen, and had five children with him.

She was also involved in the Mexican Communist Party, like Frida and her husband Diego Rivera. She supported Frida’s artistic career and often visited her at La Casa Azul, her family home in Coyoacán.

Frida painted a portrait of Adriana in 1926, which shows her wearing a traditional Mexican dress and holding a bouquet of flowers.

Adriana died in 1968, at the age of 65 or 66, in Mexico City. She was buried in Panteón Francés de La Piedad, a cemetery in Cuauhtémoc. She was Frida Kahlo’s second sister, and one of the closest to her.

Wilhelm Kahlo y Calderón: A Brother of Frida Kahlo Who Died as an Infant

DATE OF BIRTH: 1906 

DIED AT AGE OF: Shortly after his birth(1906)

Wilhelm Kahlo y Calderón was the only son of Guillermo Kahlo and María Matilde Calderón González, who were Frida Kahlo’s parents.

He was born in Coyoacán, a village on the outskirts of Mexico City, where his father worked as a photographer.

Wilhelm was named after his paternal grandfather, Carl Wilhelm Kahlo, who was a German jeweler. He was Frida Kahlo’s only brother, but she never got to know him.

Wilhelm died shortly after his birth, leaving his parents heartbroken.

His cause of death and burial place are unknown. He was one of the many children who did not survive infancy in Mexico at that time, due to poor health conditions and lack of medical care.

He was Frida Kahlo’s brother, but he did not live long enough to see her become a famous painter.

Frida Kahlo: A Mexican Artist Who Painted Her Life

DATE OF BIRTH: 6 July, 1907  

DIED AT AGE OF: 13 July, 1954

A picture of Frida Kahlo[photo courtesy: Oldest]
Frida Kahlo[photo courtesy: Oldest]
Frida Kahlo was born in Coyoacán, a village on the outskirts of Mexico City.

Her full name was Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón.

She developed a passion for drawing at a young age, thanks to the lessons she received from Fernando Fernández, a friend of her father Guillermo Kahlo, who was a professional photographer.

In 1925, she had to drop out of school and work as a stenographer to support her family.

She also learned engraving from Fernández, who recognized her talent. However, her artistic career was interrupted by a tragic bus accident in 1925, when she was 18 years old. She suffered severe injuries that required more than 30 surgeries in her lifetime. While recovering in bed, she resumed painting and decided to pursue a career as a medical illustrator, combining her love for art and science.

She met Diego Rivera, a famous muralist, in 1928 and married him the following year.

They moved to Morelos, where Frida changed her painting style and drew inspiration from Mexican folk art.

She painted mostly self-portraits that reflected her identity, culture, and pain.

In 1939, they moved to San Francisco, where Frida had her first solo exhibition. They also lived in Detroit for a while, where Frida suffered a miscarriage that affected her health and mood.

They returned to Mexico in 1934, but their marriage was troubled by infidelity and divorce. The two remarried in 1940, but their relationship remained turbulent.

Frida also traveled to New York and Paris, where she met other artists and exhibited her work.

She joined the Mexican Communist Party and supported the causes of the workers and the indigenous people.

Frida’s health deteriorated in the last years of her life. She died on July 13, 1954, in Coyoacán, at the age of 47.

The official cause of death was pulmonary embolism, but some suspect that she committed suicide or overdosed on painkillers.

She was buried in La Casa Azul, her family home that is now a museum dedicated to her life and art. She was one of the most influential Mexican artists of the 20th century.

Cristina Kahlo: A Sister of Frida Kahlo Who Inspired Many Paintings

DATE OF BIRTH: 7 June 1908

DIED AT AGE OF: 55 in 8 February 1964

A picture of Cristina Kahlo[photo courtesy: Oldest]
She was Frida Kahlo’s youngest sister, and one of the closest to her[photo courtesy: Oldest]
Cristina Kahlo was the youngest sibling of Frida Kahlo, the famous Mexican painter. She was born in Coyoacán, Mexico City, in 1908, only 11 months after Frida.

She was also the most famous one, as she appeared in many paintings by Frida and her husband Diego Rivera.

Frida painted her sister in Portrait of Cristina, My Sister, one of her early works.

She also referred to her in Mi Nodriza y yo (“My wet-nurse and I”), a painting that shows Frida being breastfed by a nurse. This was because Frida’s mother could not nurse her after Cristina’s birth.

Diego also painted Cristina in several of his works, sometimes in nudes. He had an affair with her, which Frida discovered and suffered from. One of his most famous paintings that features Cristina is The History of Mexico: The World of Today and Tomorrow, a mural that depicts Cristina lying next to Frida at the bottom. He also painted her in Figure of Knowledge, a nude that symbolizes female health and purity.

Cristina grew up in a house built by her father Guillermo Kahlo, a photographer, in Coyoacán.

Her father provided her with an education, even though he was not wealthy.

She married Antonio Pineda and had two children with him, Isolda and Antonio. However, her husband abandoned her after Antonio’s birth. She then moved in with Frida and Diego, along with her children. That was when she started an affair with Diego.

Cristina died in 1964, at the age of 55, in Mexico City. She was buried in Panteón Inglés, a cemetery in Miguel Hidalgo.

Cristina was Frida Kahlo’s youngest sister, and one of the closest to her. She inspired many paintings by Frida and Diego, who captured her beauty and personality.

Conclusion

Frida Kahlo’s siblings were an important part of her life and art.

They shared her joys and sorrows, her passions and conflicts, her dreams and realities.

They also represented the diversity and richness of Mexican culture, which Frida celebrated and expressed in her paintings. Frida Kahlo’s siblings were not only her family, but also her inspiration.

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