In 1920 Altman created series of expressive portrait drawings of V. I. Lenin, and also bronze sculptures of Lenin in realism style, portrait of A. V. Lunacharsky in plaster cast (the State Tretyakov Gallery). He used elements of suprematism style in the cycle of non-figurative paintings Petrokommuna, Material Selection, Russia. Labour etc.

Later Altman concentrated efforts on graphic arts: easel graphic works (series of portraits of modern writers 1926–1927) and book illustrations (Petersburg stories by N. V. Gogol).

Work at the theatre was very fruitful for Altman. After cooperation with the stage director E. Vakhtangov he acquired reputation of a good scene painter. In 1921 they staged, symbolic for theatre studio Gabima, the play Gadibuk by S. Ansky. At the same time Altman designed one of the first performances of the play Misteria-Buff by V. V. Mayakovsky.

In 1922 Altman cooperated with the Moscow State Jewish Theatre (Goset), designed the performance Uriel Akosta by K. Gutskov, and performance Le Mariage de M. Le Trouhadec by J. Romains.

In the spring of 1928 Altman went on tour of the theatre Goset in Paris, and lived there till 1936. Acquaintance with movements in French modern art inspired him to return to painting. He created landscapes, portraits and still lifes. In his works of Paris period, suprematist and cubist effects disappeared, having given place to impressionist ones. In Paris he created also marvelous illustrations to Petersburg stories by N. V. Gogol, designed several children’s books, created lithographs on the subject of the Old Testament, and was engaged in interior design.

When Altman returned to USSR he had to give up painting, because the manner of his painting did not meet with approval. He had to work mainly in the theatre and book design. Among his outstanding creations of that time were designs for Shakespeare’s famous plays King Lear (1941, the Gorky State Drama Academic Theatre, GBDT), Othello (1944, the Pushkin Drama Theatre in Leningrad), Hamlet (1954, the Pushkin Drama Theatre in Leningrad), costume designs to film Don Quixote (1955), illustrations to works of Sholom Aleichem, V. Blasko Ibanez, E. Castro, E. Zola etc.

Altman was engaged also in decorative art — porcelain painting. During his last years he created some easel paintings after his former scene and costume designs.