Dr James Hamilton, a leading Turner expert, has claimed that the most famous portrait of JMW Turner—long believed to be a self-portrait and featured on the UK £20 banknote—is actually by the painter John Opie. Hamilton argues that the work, dated around 1799, was mistakenly included in the Turner Bequest after the artist's death in 1851, when his studio was in disarray and the attribution was never properly verified. He points to stylistic evidence, including Opie's characteristic use of dramatic light and shadow, and calls on Tate Britain to reattribute the painting.
This matters because the portrait is one of the most recognizable images of Turner, used on currency and in major exhibitions. If reattributed, it could challenge the integrity of the Turner Bequest and raise legal questions about restitution, as the bequest legally comprises only works by Turner. The case also highlights broader issues of historical attribution in museum collections and the fragility of long-held assumptions about iconic artworks.