Kristín Þorvaldsdóttir was born in Ísafjörður on January 14th 1870. Her parents were Þorvaldur Jónsson, a doctor and later branch manager of Landsbanki in Ísafjörður, and Þórunn Jónsdóttir from Gilsbakki. 

Kristín was a well-educated artist and had a longer period of formal education than many other women of her time. Her family was wealthy, and the children received the best education available, all of them being sent to study in Copenhagen. She had considerable talent and the quality of her works reflect the fact that she received solid training. However, the impact of her art was limited as her works were never displayed publicly. 

It was not destined for Kristín to become the first Icelandic woman dedicated to visual arts. However, all circumstances were favorable for this, as she was unmarried, lived in relative comfort and had talent. Nevertheless, societal norms and conventions played a larger role in shaping her career, as she lived in a society that did not fully appreciate artistic abilities of women and viewed art differently than we do today.