I have found a few references to this painting as a miniature. None of the resources are reliable, unfortunately, and I am still unsure of its origins.   However, it is an exquisite and unique example of a birth image, and could be part of the Mughal tradition of painting secular scenes. Here, we see the birthing woman accompanied by five attendants, one of whom helps in the delivery of the baby.

Although historical information on this image is scant, it is being used widely across the internet, primarily on websites devoted to birth and birth imagery. Many find it helpful in the visualization of birth, and I think that this relates to how viewers can see the baby emerging so clearly from the laboring woman. Such clear representation of the birth scene helps to normalize the act of childbirth.

Please notify me if you are aware of the work’s origins and I will add the information here.