Smikros was an ancient Greek

Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...

 vase painter who flourished in Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 from 510 until 500 BCE. He was active in the workshop of the Euphronios

Euphronios

Euphronios was an ancient Greek vase painter and potter, active in Athens in the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC. As part of the so-called "Pioneer Group,"...

. Beside Euphronios, Euthymides

Euthymides

Euthymides was an ancient Athenian potter and painter of vases, primarily active between 515 and 500 BC. He was a member of the Greek art movement later to be known as "The Pioneers" for their exploration of the new decorative style known as red-figure pottery...

, Hypsis and that Dikaios painter Smikros was one of the most important representatives of the so-called Pioneer Group

Pioneer Group

The Pioneer Group were a number of red-figure vase painters working in Kerameikos or the potters' quarter of Athens around the beginning of the 5th century BCE. Characterized by John Boardman as perhaps the first conscious art movement in the western tradition, the group comprised the painters...

 of Athenian red figure vase painting.

From Smikros we have three signed vases. John Beazley

John Beazley

Sir John Davidson Beazley was an English classical scholar.Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Beazley attended Balliol College, Oxford, where he was a close friend of the poet James Elroy Flecker. After graduating in 1907, Beazley was a student and tutor in Classics at Christ Church, and in 1925 he...

 called him an imitator of Euphronios. It is possible that Smikros cooperated in some late and not completely successful vases, which are assigned to Euphronios. On one psykter

Psykter

A psykter is a type of Greek pot that is characterized by a bulbous body set on a high, narrow foot. It was used as a wine cooler. The psykter would be filled with wine, and then be placed in a krater full of cold water or ice....

 in the Hermitage (pc. Petersburg) Euphronios has a female figure with the inscription Smikra provided, which could be understood as allusion on his pupil. On another amphora

Amphora

An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...

 stands It seems to belong to Smikros, which suggests possibly a co-operation of both artists. Smikros might also have decorated additionally another stamnos

Stamnos

A stamnos is a type of Greek pottery used to store liquids. It is much squatter than an amphora and has two stubby handles relatively high on its sides. It is a relatively unusual container form. Generally, it was used for mixing and storing....

 and two pelikai

Pelike

A pelike is a one-piece ceramic container similar to an amphora.It has two open handles that are vertical on their lateral aspects and even at the side with the edge of the belly, a narrow neck, a flanged mouth, and a sagging, almost spherical belly....

 assigned to him.

Beazley called Smikros a bad draughtsman. This is, however, only in comparison with the other members of the Pioneer Group. It must be considered that the red figure vase painting was still in its infancy and the pioneers were still vigorously experimenting. A lack of ingenuity with the picture composition is not to be hidden. His designs are precise, yet become inaccurate with the representation of such details as ears and fingers. Also, the dress is often careless.