1) there's a real world and a canvas. the canvas is like a simulation essentially 2) the paintress was maelles mother. the curator was maelles dad. 3) everything inside the canvas is just a creation. the only things that arent are aline, renoire (curator), and maelle 4) in the real world, there was a fire or something which scarred maelle. real verso died before the events of the game. aline went into his painting to grieve. renoire wants her to get out. the paintress was just delaying renoire from destroying the canvas essentially, and the number ticking down is aline getting weaker. the gommage is just renoires yearly assault on the canvas, destroying the oldest creations 5) maelle is there to help renoire get aline out. but she also wants to save the canvas because its the last part of real versos soul or something
but then, who was fake versos sister? what are the writers
1: Correct. 2: Correct. 3: Correct. You can learn more about who created what via act 3 quests. 4: Also yes, but to add, the Writers started the fire, tricking Alicia/using her as bait. Verso died saving her. 5: Correct. 6: Fake Verso's sister is just a painted version of Alicia. Aline recreated her family in the canvass to pretend Verso hadn't died in the fire; that the only bad thing was Alicia getting hurt. The details of the Writers isnt explored in the game.