Bartolomeo was born, and lived and worked his whole life in Florence. Part of the indecision about his age and birth year comes from differing statements he had made: in 1427 he gave 61, and 64 in 1433. His brother, Giovanni, was a sculptor and possibly a painter as well. Bartolomeo was enrolled in the Guild of Saint Luke of Florence with Agnolo Gaddi since 1394, and worked on the design of the Cappella del Sacro Cingolo of the Prato Cathedral. Between 1402 and 1438, he received many orders for the new hospital of St. Mary, and he died wealthy. He never married. He was also influenced by Lorenzo Monaco.