Hunter’s early works are distinctly reminiscent of the work of the Dutch seventeenth century painters: the pioneers of still life painting and for whom Hunter held great admiration. He would have been exposed to their work in Glasgow's Museum and Art Gallery at Kelvingrove Park. In a review of an exhibition of Hunter's work at Alexander Reid's Gallery in Glasgow, one critic wrote that, 'He has three or four examples of still life that are superlatively strong ... they show a mastery of form and colour that takes one back to the triumphs of the Dutchmen' (Bailie, March 1916, vol. 88, p. 7).


Hunter was particularly inspired by the work of William Kalf (1619-1693), and his earlier still lifes. These comprised more modest kitchen objects than the Chinese porcelain and silver vessels which appear in the work of Kalf's later period. Hunter, like Kalf, found items for his paintings in the kitchen of his uncle's farmhouse at Millburn near Larkhall, where he stayed for much of his time before the First World War. Hunter's most famous painting of this early period is Cupboard and Kitchen Utensils, 1914-18 (Tate, London).


Hunter's characteristically energetic handling of the paint sets him apart from the other Colourists, while the dark, restrained tones, chiaroscuro-inspired contrast between light and dark, and formally arranged composition echo the influence of the Dutch masters. However, in White roses and a Chinese vase, the bright white of the flower, and the warmer palette found in the fruit and blue cloth reveal an interest in richer, brighter tones that would later define him as a Colourist.