Ring was born as Laurits Andersen a village named Ring in southern Zealand. Rings parents were wheelmaker and carpenter Anders Olsen (1816–83) and farmers daughter Johanne Andersdatter (1814–95). In 1869, he became a painters apprentice because his older brother was to take over the fathers workshop. In 1873, while working in Copenhagen Laurits decided to take classes in painting, and after two years of private studies he was accepted at the Danish Academy of Arts in 1875 and studied briefly with painter P. S. Krøyer. He was never content with the academy and disliked the strict training in classical disciplines.
Ring was born as Laurits Andersen a village named Ring in southern Zealand. Rings parents were wheelmaker and carpenter Anders Olsen (1816–83) and farmers daughter Johanne Andersdatter (1814–95). In 1869, he became a painters apprentice because his older brother was to take over the fathers workshop. In 1873, while working in Copenhagen Laurits decided to take classes in painting, and after two years of private studies he was accepted at the Danish Academy of Arts in 1875 and studied briefly with painter P. S. Krøyer. He was never content with the academy and disliked the strict training in classical disciplines.