I am surprised you left the painting the first time when it looked at you. I would have been scared that a painting with which the eyes weren't drawn because the woman's head was bent is suddenly looking up at me.

I guess this is why it's fiction. We could tell our characters which direction to go.

You did amazingly well with the story. But there was a part I couldn't understand... The part where "the dying wife" was mentioned. I didn't understand if you were referring to your wife or the wife of the artist who painted that picture.