After completing his education at a regional Gymnasium and Industrial School, Wilhelm left an apprenticeship as a lithographer and served from 1883 to 1887 in the Imperial German Navy, where he began to paint and decorate large seashells, one of which was presented to England's future King Edward VII.

[5] In 1900, Ritschel married Bella "Zora" Hollingsworth, a Texas-born widow who was ten years younger, and moved to Manhattan.

On June 16, 1904, he became a naturalized citizen and visited Europe in the succeeding years, including Norway, France, and the Netherlands.

Six years later he purchased a "seasonal cottage" and rented a studio from Elizabeth T Bigelow [9] in the nearby Carmel Highlands.

[11] His seascapes of the California coast and his scenes from his trips to the South Seas (1922 and 1924–25) were immensely popular in commercial galleries throughout the United States and frequently sold for record prices.