Who was Cristina Kahlo?

Cristina Kahlo (1908-1964) was Frida's younger sister, born just eleven months after her. She later had an affair with Diego Rivera, causing Frida great pain.

When was this portrait painted?

Frida Kahlo painted this in 1928, early in her career while recovering from her accident. It's the only portrait she ever made of her sister.

Where is this painting now?

The work in a private collection. It sold at Christie's in November 2023 after being part of music executive Jerry Moss's collection.

Where Is Portrait of Cristina My Sister? Museum Location

Mexican artist Frida Kahlo painted this portrait of her sister Cristina in 1928, making it the only painting she ever made of her sibling. The oil on wood measures 99 by 81.5 centimeters and represents one of Kahlo's earliest works, painted while she was still recovering from the devastating bus accident that had left her bedridden.

Cristina was born in June 1908, only eleven months after Frida. She was nineteen or twenty when she posed for this portrait. The painting already shows the stylistic influence of Diego Rivera, whom Kahlo would marry the following year. The sisters' relationship would later be complicated by Cristina's affair with Diego, one of the most painful betrayals in Kahlo's life.

The portrait sold at Christie's in November 2023 as part of music executive Jerry Moss's collection, having previously sold for $1.7 million in 2001. It's currently in a private collection, a rare early work capturing the women who shaped Kahlo's art.