Born in Genoa, Cressini moved to Milan with his family and then to Turin, where he attended the Accademia Albertina. He returned to Milan in 1884 to continue his studies at the Brera, under Giuseppe Bertini. A regular participant in national exhibitions held in Milan, Turin and Venice in 1887, he presented works at the Venice Biennale in 1897, 1899 and 1914 and participated the editions of the period from 1920 to 1928. After an initial activity as a portraitist, and still life painter, Cressini turned to landscape; under the influence of Filippo Carcano he took inspiration from the Italian and Swiss Alps and began to use divisionist techniques from 1905.