Federico Castellón was a Spanish American painter, sculptor, printmaker and illustrator of children's books.A fundamentally self-taught artist, Castellón began sketching at an early age. He took advantage of his family's relocation and visited the museums of New York. Consequently, his influences ranged from Old Masters to the modern artists of his day, including Giorgio de Chirico, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and Georges Rouault.
Castellón attended Erasmus High School, where his teachers recognized his draughtsmanship. After graduation, he completed a mural for the school based on the subject of arts and sciences. The mural was informed by Castellón's interest in the modern European movements, and it attracted critical attention when exhibited at Raymond & Raymond Galleries in New York before it was installed permanently in the school.
