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= Later Life and Death = Although Seán O’Sullivan received praise for his work during the 1920’s and 1930’s, modern critics believe that the quality of his portraits and paintings had begun to degrade in his latter years as O’Sullivan began to take on an increased number of commissions for various hospitals. Critics Eoin O’Brien & J.D.H. Widdess accuse O’Sullivan of sacrificing quality for quantity, describing his work from this period as ‘monotonous’, in stark contrast with their evaluation of his earlier work as being ‘tasteful’, and ‘always competent, always good likenesses.’. Despite this, O'Sullivan's services and paintings were still in high demand towards the latter years of his career. In 1946, an invitation from the 1st Battalion Dublin Brigade featured a photograph of an original O’Sullivan oil painting of Commandant Tom Byrne who was the last surviving Irish officer who had served in the Boer War.

Seán O’Sullivan never retired, and suffered a stroke at the age of 58, in April, 1964 while working on a portrait of the abbot of Mt St Joseph in County Tipperary. He later died in the same year on the 3rd of May, 1964 in Nenagh general hospital. O’Sullivan’s remains were carried to St. Teresa’s Church, Clarendon Street for his funeral, and interred in Dean’s Grange Cemetery, in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin.

O’Sullivan’s name was the last published in the 1964 Royal Hibernian Academy (R.H.A) catalogue, and his death was commemorated at the opening of the May 1964 R.H.A annual exhibition, which was attended by his friends and peers. Several members of the R.H.A gave speeches related personal anecdotes to the crowd about O'Sullivan. Irish Taoiseach Seán Lemass, several government ministers, and the Ambassador for the Netherlands also attended the event. The Irish Times article covering this event describes O’Sullivan as a ‘big, double bass-voiced artist who had a dual genius – for unequalled draughtmanship and for living.’

Seán O’Sullivan was remembered by his wife Renée O'Sullivan née Mouw, who also painted, and their two daughters, Julian O'Sullivan and Terry Myler, and his siblings Kevin O'Sullivan and Mollie O'Sullivan.

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