Italian artist Alfredo Lo Brutto was absolutely stunned after snapping a beautiful shot in which a luminous figure, likened to Jesus with arms outstretched, suddenly appeared above the ocean.

Alfredo, who in addition to being an artist, is also a chef, said: “I was enchanted by the view.

“I don’t often share pictures on social media, but when I took this one, I instantly felt like I wanted other people to see, because it was so beautiful.”

After he shared it on Facebook, with the title “The Christ of light on the sea of Agropoli”, the photo went viral quickly, with many claiming to see the shape of Jesus with open arms, in a blessing gesture.

One commenter said that it was, “a unique and sensational shot” while another said, “it really looks like Jesus, the head, the arms, congratulations”.

Lo Brutto, from Agropoli, Salerno, took the intriguing image when sunlight shone through clouds above his home town last Friday.

Media reports said his well-timed photo looked similar to an illuminated version of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro.

The website adds that the “luminous figure seems human, the classic Christ blessing that we see in many representations… that is attracting the attention of many people.”

It’s not the first time people have claimed they’ve seen the figure of Jesus appearing in clouds.

In April 2017, Colombians whose city was ravaged by landslides that killed 17 cheered an apparition of Jesus while filming sunlight shining through the sky over Manizales.

And last year, the world’s most famous “crying” Virgin Mary statue could be seen “weeping tears of blood” for the 38th time.

The moment prompted hordes of people to rush to the home of the Frias family in the town of Metan, in northwestern Argentina, to see the statue known as the Virgin of the Mystic Rose.