Bertini was born in Milan. He studied at the Brera Academy under Luigi Sabatelli and Giuseppe Bisi. In 1845 was awarded the Brera's Grand Prize in Painting for his picture of the meeting between Dante and Fra Ilario. Between 1848 and 1860 Bertini sometimes taught painting at the Brera Academy. When the academy was reorganized in 1860, he was made a permanent professor there. He was in charge of one of the academy's two schools of painting. Francesco Hayez was in charge of the other one. Bertini remained a professor at the academy until the end of the 19th century. Francesco Filippini was one of his students.