Anyone who considers bronze the third-place metal (or medal, as the case may be) clearly hasn’t seen the sculptures on view at the Portland Museum of Art.

“Degas, Rodin and Moore: Bronzes by European Masters” showcases the metal’s beauty, warmth and practicality, brought to life by expressive hands. The title is a bit misleading, however. Though its focus is on the three better-known sculptors, the exhibit includes 34 works by 21 artists, all of whom are masters in their own right. Each sculpture is small by comparison to the ones we see in parks or in lobbies of grand buildings.

While walking around a small rendition of Rodin’s famous sculpture “The Thinker,” a woman nearby told her young companion, “The real one is life-size.” The larger one sits in front of Le Musee de Rodin in Paris, a smaller one rests on a pedestal inside that museum, but the one on display at the Portland Museum of Art is as “real” as the others.

By nature, bronze sculpture is not unique. These are originals, for sure, but there are other originals out there, cast from the same mold. The color varies, due in part to the ratio of copper to tin, and in part to the patina, a coating applied to alter the metal’s surface. While each piece is bronze, some look like copper, some gold, some nearly black with green mottling, and some have the shine of a new nickel.

The sculptures range from classic to modern, representational to abstract, and span a period from the 1880s to the 1960s. Some are fluid and smooth, others quick and imperfect, but each gives a captivating view in three dimensions. The best part of all? You get to walk around most of them. Just don’t touch.

You’ll want to, though. Francois Pompon’s “Poule d’Eau (Moorhen)” invites a caress on its smooth, sleek back. Emil Nolde’s “The Prophet” is wisely kept in a case. The patina, applied to look like Nolde’s original wood carving, replicates the grain so closely that it’s hard to believe it’s bronze.

While the Nolde piece captured a look, the works in the neighboring room, mostly by Auguste Rodin, capture motion and emotion. In “The Triumphant Youth,” Rodin freezes a pair of young lovers in a passionate embrace, she resting on his knee. You can feel the longing in Rodin’s “Love Flees,” as a tormented Paolo (inspired by Dante’s “Inferno” and included in Rodin’s famous sculpted door, “The Gates of Hell”) clings to his brother’s fiancee, Francesca.

Edgar Degas’ dancers are as disciplined as Rodin’s are impassioned. Displayed in front of a pair of his pastels, the dancer in Degas’ “Fourth Position Front, on Left Leg ” stretches gracefully, casting a soft shadow on the dark gray wall behind it. Though he created many small wax sculptures, Degas never cast one in bronze during his lifetime, because, as he said, it was “a tremendous responsibility to leave anything behind in bronze.” Only one was included in this exhibit.

The collection of Henry Moore’s figures, predominantly women and families, rounds out the mix. Moore’s organic, somewhat abstract sculptures draw from the curve of a branch as readily as the curve of a hip. This results in whimsical, delightful pieces that are more about relationships than anatomy.

Works on paper by some of the artists accompany the sculptures, giving a little-seen glimpse into the correlation between the two media.

“Degas, Rodin and Moore: Bronzes by European Masters” is on view through Sept. 23 at the Portland Museum of Art. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The museum is closed Mondays. For more information, call 775-6148 or visit www.portlandmuseum.org.

Art notes

. It’s an exhibit fit for a princess.

Shaw Jewelry in Northeast Harbor will have its crown jewels on display through Aug. 8 in “Tiaras Will Be Worn.” The traveling exhibition includes 60 artists, and was curated by Sam Shaw in conjunction with a San Francisco gallery.

Some of the tiaras are delicate and pretty, crafted of gold and silver and diamonds and pearls. Others are made from less traditional materials, such as old shoes and a coffeepot. All were made with the intention of examining women’s roles.

An exhibit of recent paintings by Susan and Rufus Williams will run concurrently.

For information, call Shaw Jewelry at 276-5000.