a rare role reversal in the art of indian miniatures ;)

Prints from the Chitrashala Press, founded in the late 19th century to diffuse nationalistic stirrings to complement contemporary literature, were inspired from popular works of established painters, industrial reproduction of Indian mythical and religious art from presses overseas and other miscellaneous sources. The original for this scene, for example, might have been inspired by the final image shown at this page, which suggests it to be calendar art from Italy with a more apolitical caption. http://civicarchives.org/italian-presses/

Something doesn't fit with the caption as the same image on the following page http://civicarchives.org/italian-presses/ is titled 'Courtesan, Calendar, Chromolithograph, Made in Italy, late 19th century'. The picture does not seem to be of Ahilyabai Holkar, someone please verify and correct