Gino Rossi was born on 6 June 1884 in Venice into a wealthy family. His father, Stanislao, was a collaborator of Count Enrico di Bardi, and his mother, Teresa Vianello, had a strong bond with him. While attending Ca' Vendramin, Rossi was exposed to a collection of Oriental art that influenced his artistic education. After studying at the collegio della Badia Fiesolana and the Liceo Foscarini in Venice, he interrupted his schooling in 1898. In 1901, after the death of his father, he married Bice Levi Minzi, sharing his passion for painting with her.
 
In 1904, Rossi asked the Mayor of Venice for a studio at the Palazzo Pesaro, which became a centre for young artists and a dialectical reference point at the Biennale. He studied privately with the Russian painter Vladimir Schereschewskj, known for his painting inspired by Russian figurative culture, similar to that of Kandinsky and Chagall. Rossi was also attracted to artistic experiments in Paris, including Impressionism, Pointillism, Fauvism and Cubism.

Between 1906 and 1907, he stayed in Paris, influenced by the artistic environment and the studio of Herman Anglada y Camarasa. In 1907, he visited the Netherlands, inspired by the Flemish masters, and painted 'Red Roofs in Bruges.' He spent time in Brittany, where he developed a pictorial language characterised by a synthesis of colour and sign, creating landscapes that evoked autonomous poetic visions.
 
Returning to Italy, he settled in Burano and became a key figure in the Ca' Pesaro environment, promoting modern art. Despite stereotypes that portrayed him as a “primitive painter” or “isolated”, Rossi displayed a lively critical intelligence and a propensity for stylistic independence. His last years were marked by economic difficulties, but he continued to support young artists and promote the demands of modern art.

After the war, he moved to Noventa Padovana, establishing friendships with art critics such as Dario De Tuoni. Despite the difficulties, he remained active in the artistic debate and tried to keep the quality of exhibitions at Ca' Pesaro high. However, the more traditionalist Circolo Artistico Veneziano (Venetian Artistic Circle) took over in 1920, leading to a secession of the artists linked to Ca' Pesaro.
 
Rossi's last years were marked by mental health problems. He was hospitalised in 1926 and subsequently transferred between various hospitals until his death on 16 December 1947. In 1948, the Venice Biennale dedicated a solo exhibition to him that contributed to the critical rediscovery of his work.