A man who stole a 19th century painting from the Ta’ Ġieżu church on Wednesday was seen carrying the work of art by passers-by in Valletta, sources said.

The 1861 painting by Antonio Falzon was stolen from the church of Our Lady of Jesus, commonly known as Ta’ Ġieżu, soon after the church was opened at around 4.30 p.m. for the evening Mass.

Sources said commuters saw a man carrying the painting soon afterwards.

The painting adorned a small side altar in a section of the church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, at the side of the main entrance.

Church rector Fr Joe Caruana said the thief must have climbed on the altar to get the painting off the wall and in the process dropped a small crucifix.

It was the crucifix on the ground that drew the attention of a woman who went to the church for the 6.15 p.m. Mass and noticed the painting had gone missing.

According to art connoisseur Judge Giovanni Bonello, the painting’s value is historic rather than artistic, as it belonged to a past era and a different way of life.

Its value was contextual because it formed part of the traditional environment of an important church in Malta, he added.

Asked about the financial value of the painting, Judge Bonello said this depended on how much the buyer was willing to pay and the vendor was willing to sell it for. Since the painting was not very popular, it was not difficult to sell the piece.