The Dutch painting has a plain, serious appearance which reflects the Dutch economic values of frugality and simplicity and also its strict Calvinist social structure; at the same time, it shows how it contrasted sharply from the French economic values of extreme wealth and splendor as well as the luxurious, glamorous social life of the nobility in France. The Netherlands rose to prominence in the seventeeth century. The nation's economic prosperity was extraordinary. Through urban consolidation, transformed agriculture, extensive trade and finance, and an outstanding overseas commercial empire, the Dutch built the foundation for success. However, despite being as rich or even richer as alot of their European neighbors, the Dutch were surprisingly frugal. The country was wealthy, but its economic values kept it from overspending and focusing too much on glamour. The social class structure was dominated by Calvinist doctrines; which were followed by many politicians and high ranking officials. They couldn't go against the strict guidlines of their religion by living life luxuriously. Meanwhile, France never had the most stable economy, but the nobles certainly lived in royal splendor. Louis palace court at Versailles was a prime example of how the French valued living in splendor and showing off their wealth. It was a natural part of a noble's life to always have luxury and glamour. The contrasting styles of the two paintings illustrate these differences perfectly.
The ornate style of the French painting is the opposite of the plain style of the Dutch painting; the contrasting styles of these two paintings also clearly reflect the differences of French and Dutch economic values. The Dutch valued frugality and simplicity, they didn't like to spend much money on extravagancies. The painting illustrates this fact in that the men are shown wearing plain black and white clothing, and are apparently situated in a very ordinary meeting room.