Elise Crola grew up in a wealthy banking family. There was a lot of attention for art: Berlin artists came to their home and Elise received thorough art education, including painting lessons. After her first marriage, she retired to the countryside in 1836 where she devoted herself entirely to her art: paintings (mainly landscapes and portraits), sculptures and ceramics. In 1840 she married the painter and printmaker Georg Heinrich Crola (1804-1879), a happy marriage that also brought a fruitful artistic connection.