Government experts are compiling an inventory of a private art collection claimed to be worth millions of euros as negotiations to house it in Malta continue.

Polish art collector Zdzislaw Bieganski has expressed the desire to have his enormous collection, said to include works by household names such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, permanently exhibited in Malta.

Mr Bieganski, 91, is anxious for the government to propose a suitable location for his collection. He wants the collection to serve as a learning tool for aspiring Maltese artists.

The government has remained tight-lipped about the offer so far, saying it was too early to comment. But the Culture Ministry has confirmed it was taking stock of Mr Bieganski’s collection, which runs into several thousand pieces of art.

Mr Bieganski’s self-professed “obsession” with buying art led him to occasionally buying entire collections en masse.

But his ravenous appetite for art was not matched by a predilection for organisation, leaving Heritage Malta officials with a difficult task on their hands.

“Once officials have itemised the collection, they’ll pick some of the most prominent pieces and have them properly evaluated and assessed. Until that’s done, the government can’t really make an informed statement,” sources said.

Bieganski Foundation curator Ryan Pillow was reluctant to speak about progress in negotiations. He said talks were moving ahead at a steady pace, with the foundation and government officials meeting on a weekly basis.