Niccolo da Modena
Niccolo da Modena or Nicholas Bellin of Modena (died 1569) was an Italian artist and technician at the English court. Career He was born in Modena near the end of the 15th century. He is first recorded at the French court in 1516 as a valet of the wardrobe. Other painters and artists including Jean Clouet had similar court offices. He worked for several years at Fontainebleau, and came to London in 1532 where he was recorded working at Whitehall. He returned to France and made masquerade costumes for the wedding of the Comte de Saint-Pol. He returned to England in August 1537. He came to England from the works of Francis II of France at Fontainebleau, and worked at Nonsuch Palace and Whitehall Palace for Henry VIII. He had left France under a cloud, accused of embezzling funds. Bellin continued to work for Edward VI. He was a painter, carver, designer and technologist. As well as decorative painting for the Tudor palaces, "Nicholas Modena" or "Moden", as he was known in England, made masque costumes, papier-mâché and boiled leather ornament, and leather horse-armour known as barding. Nonsuch was decorated with carved and slates. In 1542 Niccolo provided a special