Famed British Romantic painter JMW Turner died in 1851, after a healthy, fruitful life—during which he produced hundreds of oil paintings, thousands of watercolors, and tens of thousands of works on paper. Out of all that art, however, records indicate that Turner made only one self-portrait as a mature artist. That work, owned by the Tate , has become so iconic that it’s printed on money . But, its attribution might be a misunderstanding. In the new edition of the JMW Turner Society ’s semiannual magazine, art historian James Hamilton will lay out his case that the actual author behind this painting was John Opie , a noted British portrait artist 14 years Turner’s senior. The Turner Society chairperson Pieter van der Merwe has said Hamilton is likely the first to broach this subject. Hamilton shared the broad strokes of his argument with the Guardian .…