"Rossetti was equally astonished and delighted with Japanese designs; their enormous energy, their instinct for whatever savours of life and movement, their exquisite superiority to symmetry in decorative form, their magic of touch and impeccability of the execution, carried him away."

William Michael Rossetti (Dante Gabriel's brother, in Some Reminiscences, vol. 1, London 1906, pp.  276-7)

While it is well-known that Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his circle of fellow aesthetes were keenly interested in Japanese art, in exactly what manner they incorporated those artistic principles is often left unmentioned.  Indeed, British and Japanese discussions of Rossetti's japonisme usual conclude that the influence of Japan was limited to merely superficial aspects of his work, such as depictions of kimono fabrics in "The Beloved" or his Japanese style book bindings.  Part of the reason is due to his brother William Michael, who, after recounting his brother's passion for Japanese art, was quick to add detracting comments and deny any serious Japanese influence:  

"Assuredly, he did not suppose that the facial angle of the 'eternal feminine' of Japan, as represented (and very untruthfully represented) by her admiring countrymen, is to be accepted as the line of beauty; nor were his previous impressions revised as to how a human leg or arm or torso is constructed...Upon the colouring of the prints he looked with great satisfaction, as having qualities of force and saliency which no other nation could bring into play with equal effect; he said, however that the colouring is somewhat harsh -- which is true of a large number of Japanese works, though not of all."               

William Michael Rossetti, Some Reminiscences, pp. 276-7)

Let us take a more considered look at that seemingly knowledgeable appraisal, which in fact is rather rhetorical in tone and somewhat contrived (if one knows a thing or two about ukiyo-e prints).   Does not one receive the distinct impression he is trying to make light of any Japanese influence, even mocking what he calls "very untruthfully represented" female faces drawn by Japan's own "admiring countrymen"?           

His point about Gabriel Rossetti's ideas of how to construct a human leg, arm, or torso being unaffected by Japan--yes this is most likely true--but how relevant is it?  What about the emphasis on the neck and especially the female hand--which he leaves out--that came to play a prominent role in Rossetti's paintings?  As for the rest of the body, since his figures were often richly draped, thus hiding (as in ukiyo-e prints) those other bodily constructions anyway, why bother to mention what doesn't really matter?   And as for the harsh coloring, that is also misleading.  The darker and brighter coloring was a latter trend of ukiyo-e art, from the mid-19th century onward due in good part to the introduction of European inks.  In any case, everything indicates that Rossetti was interested in earlier prints, especially those of Utamaro, whose colors are softer and subdued--indeed, it might be said more so than those of Rossetti himself.  

Thus there seems to be something of a mismatch here: on the one hand, unrestrained enthusiasm for Japanese art expressed by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and conveyed to us by his brother William Michael, an admiration so exuberant as to be still fresh in his brother's memory; and on the other hand, attempts, now many years later, at subtle mockery and contrived arguments against that object of admiration, with the effect of casting cold water on any notion of possibly meaningful influence.   

Below:  left, Utamaro's 'Yoshiwara Suzume', late 18th century;  right, Rossetti's 'Il Ramoscello' (The Twig), 1865.

A prolonged look at the two pictures below should dispel any doubts as to whether Rossetti's enthusiasm for Japanese prints extended to their compositional features as well as to the expression of aesthetic ideals.  Quite clearly it did.   Regard first the peculiar, soft, languid depiction of the crossed hands, not only the pose and the fingers, but in the fleshy lengthened palms relative to the fingers, and without much surface detail.  Just as important is what cannot be seen--the cutting out of view of the elbows and arms in the same manner and at the same locations in typical ukiyo-e fashion.  Next note the delicate, intricate flower patterns in yellow-gold emphasized on the left shoulders, one on a fan, the other in a filagree ornament.  Chromatically, it is clear how the schema of olive greens, golden yellow, black, and orange-reds in Utamaro are shared with Rossetti, if in different proportions for different features.  (In fact, olive green, yellow,  orange-red and black were the standard colors used in the earlier benizuri woodblock prints.)  Both figures fill much of the picture in ukiyo-e style, with near monochrome backgrounds which enhance a sense of singularity and closeness of presence.  Even small details have their parallels; Rossetti has a Japanese 'inkan' style stamp in the upper left-hand corner, and writing on both edges of the picture;--it was not until the introduction of Japanese art that Western artists would conceive of signing or labeling their paintings in that way, boldly at the top of the canvas.   There is even something of Utamaro (as found in his other 'bijinga' pictures) in the manner of Rossetti's lips here.  The keen observer will note further parallels. The fan has been replaced by a twig, but one wonders, why a twig?  It does seem somewhat odd does it not (that perhaps, an infrared scan of the painting might reveal traces of a folded fan sketched, but then considered too much of a give away and painted over as a twig)?