Following the death of his father, Moore moved to London where he enrolled in the Academy School. His paintings at this time tended to reflect the English school of the Pre-Raphaelites, a style that merged modern symbolism with romantic imagery.

After many trips to Rome, the influence of classical sculpture began to dominate Moore's artwork. His paintings of that time depict women in classical dress, giving special attention to draperies, poses and facial expression. The female figures are either painted alone or in groups and have no Biblical or literary references. This is especially apparent in the painting "The Dreamers."

Moore worked with many well-known Pre-Raphaelite painters, including Leighton and Whistler. It was with Whistler that he developed a special relationship; the two worked together in a studio for some time. The exchange of techniques and ideas that he shared with Whistler remained strong up until 1893 when Moore died.

Upon his death, a few of Moore's close friends organized a memorial retrospective of his work, the first exhibition of his paintings.