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Federico Castellon

1914-1971

Federico Castellon - painter, printmaker, illustrator and sculptor - was born in Spain, but immigrated to the United States with his family at a young age, where they settled in Brooklyn, New York. Castellon had trouble fitting into his new environment and spent many long hours teaching himself how to draw as a way to cope. His dedication and devotion to the arts would eventually catch the attention of his teachers and he was asked to create a mural at his high school. 

Not long after, at the age of 18, Castellon met Diego Rivera at one of the artist's installations. Rivera took an immediate interest in Catellon's artwork and introduced him to the director of Weyhe Gallery, Carl Zigrosser, who gave the teen his first solo exhibition. Rivera also helped Castellon secure a fellowship so he could study art in Europe. He spent much of the time studying printmaking and painting in Paris and Madrid. He returned to the U.S. at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and by 1938 was working with George Miller, a well-known American master printer in New York, to produce lithographs.

Castellon would go on to win multiple awards for his creative endeavors, including a First Prize from the Library of Congress and a second Guggenheim Fellowship. He would also teach at several institutions, including Pratt Institute and Columbia University. Castellon was a member of the Society of American Graphic Artists and the National Academy of Design.

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