Louis Ritman settled in Chicago with his family in 1903. He studied under Wellington Reynolds at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (1906) and at the Art Institute under Reynolds and Vanderpoel (1907-9). Afterwards he studied with Chase in Philadelphia for several months (1909) and then went to France where he remained until 1930 except for brief visits back to the United States. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and made painting trips to Giverny (1909-14). Later he worked with Soutine, Pascin and Biddle in Paris. In 1919 he had a one man exhibition at MacBeth Gallery and after 1924 Milch Gallery handled his work exclusively.
He returned to Chicago in 1930 where he taught at the Art Institute until 1960. After his return to America he began to paint American subjects.