LONDON—The Queen of England’s composer, Peter Maxwell Davies, has made several provocative remarks directed at Damien Hirst, reports the New York Times. In a speech to the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, he referred to the recent Sotheby’s auction at which Hirst’s works brought in a total of $200 million: “It reminds me of the Liberace museum in Las Vegas,” Davies said, “where the great man’s tatty stage costumes are exhibited, each with a fabulous price tag, and we are supposed to be uplifted.”

According to the Guardian, Davies went on to link the exorbitant value of Hirst’s art with his issues regarding the broader contemporary art world: “There are, of course, interesting visual artists out there, but this auction pantomime reflects the reductio ad absurdum of an art world where the principles of the market reign supreme.”