Painter Domingo Zapata has spent countless hours painting over 100 versions of the Mona Lisa, but his obsession reaches further than just brush strokes. The artist claims that he is in an intimate, sexual relationship with the famous piece created in 1503 by Leonardo da Vinci.

According to The Sun, the 47-year-old Spanish-born painter believes his secret to success is his sexual bond with the painting.

"I have been working with Mona Lisa for 15 years," Zapata shared with the tabloid. "When I was painting her so much, I would dream, and I have a sexual relationship with her."

"You cannot stop where it's taking you. It's about touch, feelings, being naked. As an artist, the relationship with the canvas is intimate," Zapata continued.

Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp have Zapata's work hanging in their homes and tap Zapata as one of their favorite artists.

However, it was Pablo Picasso's granddaughter, Diana, who most recently noticed Zapata's bizarre connection with the art.

"Diana Picasso, who is an art expert and a good friend of mine, asked me in the studio, 'Are you dreaming about her... are you having sex with her?' And I'm like, 'Of course, I am having sex with her in my dreams. If I was not having sex with her, I would have quit a long time ago."

The artist said his connection with the famed painting is "one of those toxic relationships that never goes away ... You keep going back to it, and you cannot move on even after 100 versions. I am working on one right now. It's a mess."

Zapata also acknowledged the parallels of his artistic process in comparison to da Vinci, who spent years trying to perfect the painting but never finished it.

"He tried it many times, but he wasn't convinced about this piece ever. Mona Lisa got to him like it got to everyone else, me included. Maybe it is meant to be unfinished."

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