Philip the Bold was a close friend of his brother Jean, the Duke of Berry, who visited him frequently. The Duke of Berry was well acquainted with the talents of his brother's court painters - the Limbourg brothers. When Philip died in 1404, the Duke of Berry took the Limbourg brothers into his service; a charter from 1405 confirms that the brothers were working for him during this period.

Jean de Berry was a passionate collector of all kinds of curios. He spent an enormous amount of money on jewels, exotic animals and relics. However, his greatest passion was illuminated manuscripts. He bought them, presented them as gifts, and commissioned them. He enlisted the extraordinary talent of the Limbourg brothers to create two special manuscripts, for which they were generously rewarded.