Ritzen took lessons at the School voor Beeldende Kunsten in Roermond and at the Middelbare Kunstnijverheidsschool (successor of the Stadsteekeninstituut) in Maastricht.

Ritzen made his debut in 1933 by exhibiting his work in his hometown of Schinnen.

[6] Ritzen was not a full-time painter, he was also an art teacher at an evening vocational technical school in Sittard for many years and a local entrepreneur.

At a later age he developed more as a modern abstract painter in which large areas of color were placed hard against each other.

In 1972, Ritzen became the first person to be named an honorary citizen of the municipality of Schinnen.