从1902年至1907年，他学习绘画和雕塑的艺术学院在敖德萨（现为独立的乌克兰）。1906年，他在敖德萨有他的第1 个展览。

1910年，他去了巴黎，在那里他呆了1 年。他曾就读于自在 俄罗斯科学院在巴黎，在工作室工作弗拉基米尔Baranoff-Rossine，并与接触夏加尔，亚历山大·阿契和大卫Shterenberg。1910年，他成为该集团的成员联盟Molodyozhi（青年联盟）。

1912年，奥特曼搬到了圣彼得堡。他著名的肖像安娜·阿赫玛托娃的，在构思立体派风格，被绘于1914年。从1915年到1917年，内森·奥特曼是老师米哈伊尔·伯恩斯坦的私人艺术学校。1916年后，他开始作为1 个工作舞美设计师。

1918年，他是董事会的美术部内艺术事项成员启蒙人民委员连同马列维奇，Baranoff-Rossine和舍甫琴科。在同1 年，他与组展犹太社会艺术的深化在莫斯科，弗拉基米尔Baranoff-Rossine，一同 萨尔瓦多李西茨基和其他人。在这同1 年，他安装的建筑雕塑在1 个临时的工作宫广场为纪念1 周年十月革命。[2]画布随后被切开，并用于士兵的脚绑定。

1920年，他成为了成员学院艺术文明 （INKHUK），与卡西米尔马列维奇在一同 ，弗拉基米尔·塔特林和其他人。同年，他参加了展览从印象派到立体主义的绘画性文明 的博物馆彼得格勒（现圣彼得堡）。1921年，他搬到了莫斯科。1921年至1922年，他是绘画性文明 在彼得格勒博物馆馆长。

从1920年到1928年，他曾在舞台上设计了Habimah剧院和犹太国家大剧院在莫斯科举行。1923年他的犹太图形艺术的体积，Evrejskaja grafika Natana Al'tmana：Tekst Maksa Osborna [最大奥斯本]，出版于柏林。

1925年，他参加了博览会国际歌装潢 艺术等INDUSTRIELS MODERNES（装潢 艺术）在巴黎一同 亚历山德拉Ekster，瓦季姆·梅勒，鲁道夫Frentz，索尼亚·德劳内-TERK和大卫Shterenberg。他的首次个展在列宁格勒是在1926年。

奥特曼于1928年移居巴黎。1936年，他回到列宁格勒（今圣彼得堡）。他的工作次要 是为剧院，1 本书插画家和对艺术的文章的作者。

From 1902 to 1907, he studied painting and sculpture at the Academy of art in Odessa (now independent of Ukraine). In 1906, he had his first exhibition in Odessa.
In 1910, he went to Paris, where he stayed for a year. He attended the free Russian Academy in Paris, working in the studio and contact with Vladimir Baranoff-Rossine, Chagall, Alexander Archie and David Shterenberg. In 1910, he became a member of the group union Molodyozhi (Youth League).
In 1912, Altman moved to St Petersburg. His famous portrait of Anna Akhmatova, conceived in Cubist style, was painted in 1914. From 1915 to 1917, Nathan Altman was a private art school by teacher Mikhail Bernstein. After 1916, he started working as a stage designer.
In 1918, he was a member of the board of directors of the Arts Department of the arts of the Enlightenment of the people together with Malevich, Baranoff-Rossine and Shevchenko. In the same year, he and the deepening of Jewish society of art in Moscow, Vladimir Baranoff-Rossine, Salvatore lissitsky and others. In the same year, he installed architectural sculptures in a temporary work Palace Square to commemorate the first anniversary of the October revolution. The [2] canvas was then cut and used to bind the feet of the soldiers. 
In 1920, he became a member of the Academy of Arts and culture (INKHUK), together with Casimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin and others. The same year, he participated in the exhibition from Impressionism to Cubism painting culture museum in Petrograd (now St Petersburg). In 1921, he moved to moscow. From 1921 to 1922, he was painting culture museum curator at the petrograd.
From 1920 to 1928, he was on stage to design the Habimah theatre and the Jewish National Grand Theatre in moscow. In 1923 the volume of his Jewish graphic art, Evrejskaja grafika Al'tmana:Tekst Maksa Osborna [Max Osborn], was published in Berlin, Natana.
In 1925, he participated in the exposition Internationale decorative art INDUSTRIELS MODERNES (Art Deco) in Paris with Vadim Mailer, Alexandra Ekster, Rudolf Frentz, Sonia Delaunay -TERK and David Shterenberg. His first exhibition in Leningrad in 1926.
Altman moved to Paris in 1928. In 1936, he returned to Leningrad (now St Petersburg). His work is mainly for the theatre, a book illustrator and author of the art article.