Willy Moralt received his first drawing lessons from his father, a landscape painter and pupil of Carl Spitzweg and Christian Morgenstern. At the age of 15 the young Moralt already created landscape studies whilst traveling through Germany. From 1903 onwards he attended the Munich Academy of Fine Arts and studied under Professor Karl Raupp. Already in his second year his landscapes, which were exhibited at the Glaspalast in Munich, were awarded a medal of honor.

After graduating, Moralt undertook extended trips to England, Holland, Italy and Switzerland. The sketches from this period served as templates for the works he later painted in his studio.