Sunil Das, regarded as one of India's important contemporary artists, passed away on Monday morning following a cardiac arrest.

He was 76 and is survived by his wife.

Family sources said the artist suffered a cardiac arrest early on Monday and was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Das was born in 1939 and remained active till his last days.

The artist - famous for his impromptu drawings of horses, bulls and dark and mysterious women - was a student of the Government College of Art and Craft in Calcutta.

He was a founder-member of the Society of Contemporary Artists.

His works featured in many exhibitions and are part of the collections of museums, such as the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi, Glenbarra Art Museum, Japan, and Ludwig Museum, Germany.

He was awarded Padma Shri in 2004.