In 1771 Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst Count of Schaumburg-Lippe brought the 27-year-old Herder as head pastor to his court in Bückeburg. Herder was living at the time in Strasbourg, where he had just met Goethe. In the coming years Herder was close especially to the Countess Marie and admired her. After her early death in 1776 Herder went to Weimar. He had a smaller replica made of the original portrait, which originally belonged together with one of the count.