The Siege of Mathura by Jarasandha dated to 1769 depicts a scene from the Bhagvata Purana. The artist, Fattu, was the son of artist Manaku, was a prominent artist of the Guler- Kangra tradition prevalent in the 18th century.
Jarasandha was the king of Magadha. His daughters, Asti and Prapti were married to Kamsa, Krishna's uncle. Angered by Kamsa's death by Krishna, Jarasandha vowed to seek revenge for his widowed daughters. He attacked Mathura 17 times, only to suffer defeat every on each occasion. Krishna eventually shifted all the population of Mathura to Dwarka during the 18th attack. Jarasandha was later killed by Bheema, one of the Pandava brothers, with Krishna's help.
Made on paper using gouache and gold, this artwork depicts one of Jarasandha's attempts to defeat Krishna. Fattu has depicted a clear divide between the two sides. While on the right side, Jarasandha and his army of soldiers, elephants, cavalry are portrayed with vibrant colours as motivated and ready to rampage the fort, while Krishna and Balarama on the left side are depicted with calm expressions discussing something as Jarasandha and his army heavily outnumber them. This calmness stems from the fact that Krishna is already aware of the outcome. The walls of the exterior of the fort also occupy a lot of space, signifying the might of Krishna and the eminent defeat of Jarasandha. This artwork differs from others traditional depictions of an attack. Rather than putting the spotlight on the actual battle between Jarasandha and Krishna, the artwork depicts the moment before the chaos. Fattu has portrayed many elements in the artwork vertically such as the elephants, soldiers, and the rising fort architecture, which probably symbolize a form of hierarchy.
The composition highlights the power dynamics occurring before the battle: the fort that holds Krishna oppresses the presence of the army opposing him, pressing them tightly within their ranks in a nearly claustrophobic manner. In contrast, the fort itself has room to breathe, stretched out across the vertical space of the painting and deliberately drawn with few figures within to emphasise that space and therefore the relaxed power Krishna holds within the fort.
