The Artist might have gotten locked in a loop of trying and failing to paint his wife's picture because he had always been obsessed with perfection, but in this case, he couldn't decide what "perfection" was. Some paintings showed her as she had been before the accident, when he considered her to be perfect (but it ignored what she had become), while some paintings showed her as she looked after the accident, perfectly representing reality (but her face was no longer flawless). Which version of perfect was perfect?
The Artist quickly feels like an Unreliable Narrator. If this is the case, then the letter next to his Magnum Opus and it's changes make much more sense as the image clearly shows lines of text having been erased and with each ending having different lines present. The Artist might have received this final letter from his wife and - depending on the ending and thus his mental state - erase the lines that clash with his motivation and perception.
present. The Artist might have received this final letter from his wife and - depending on the ending and thus his mental state - erase the lines that clash with his motivation and perception.