The basics of the art have learned in the real school of Jelgava at the art teacher K. Wiesner. In 1903 consulted also J. Valters and in 1902 – 04 years in the last of V. Purvitis.
As an active participant of the 1905 revolution, he was arrested and imprisoned in Riga Central prison, in 1907, the artist emigrated to Finland, then in Denmark and Belgium.
In 1908 – 13 years G. Elias studied at the Royal Academy of Brussels and a short time in 1913 – 14 years were supplemented in the Studio by J. P. Laurent in Paris.
In 1914 he returned to Latvia. In 1916 – 17 years lived in Moscow. In 1919 he worked in the Commission for the protection of works of art.
In exhibitions the artist has participated since 1913. His work has been exhibited in exhibitions of group of Riga artists. In 1967, in Riga was organized by his personal exhibition in Riga (1977) and Jelgava (1977, 1982, 1987) was a memorial exhibition of the artist.
1920 – 38. Elias was a member of the Riga group of artists. Since 1945 a member of the Union of artists in 1962 – people's artist of the Latvian SSR.
The artist was a teacher of the Latvian Academy of arts (1925 – 42, 1944 – 53), the head of the Figurative workshop (1925 – 32), the head of the Easel painting workshop (1944 – 53), 1938 – Professor (re-approved in 1947).
G. Elias is the recipient of several awards and scholarship culture Foundation (1922, 1924, 1928, 1929), Belgian order of Leopold II (1927), amount outstanding artist of the Latvian Academy of arts (1934), order of the Three Stars of the 4th digit (1936), an honorary diploma of the Union of artists in contest exhibition "Thematic painting" in Tallinn (1959).
