Alexandre Altmann (1878–1932) is a Russian-French painter associated with the École de Paris.

Born in Sobolevka, near Kyiv, in 1878, into a modest Jewish family, he grows up in an environment marked by persecution and pogroms. From an early age, he shows a precocious artistic talent. He works as a tailor, shoemaker, locksmith, and eventually studies painting at the Odessa School of Fine Arts, while also taking private lessons. In 1905, fleeing pogroms, he leaves Odessa on foot, accompanied by his wife Clara and their children Armand and Michel, and heads to Paris.
In Paris, he settles in the Vaugirard district, not far from La Ruche, an artistic hub where many Eastern European immigrant artists gather. He attends the Académie Julian, studying under Adolphe Bouguereau and the sculptor Jean-Marie Boucher. He befriends Émile Schuffenecker and interacts with prominent artists such as Picasso, Braque, Chagall, and Zadkine.
From 1908, supported by patrons such as Baron Edmond de Rothschild, he exhibits at the Salon des Indépendants. In 1910, he gains recognition with The Flood of Paris. In 1912, the Devambez Gallery organizes an exhibition for him as part of the Œuvre Libre group, alongside Ignacio Zuloaga and Jean Arnavielle. He also exhibits at the Salon d’Automne, the Salon des Tuileries, and in 1920 at the Marcel Bernheim Gallery.
As a landscape painter, he tirelessly explores the surroundings of Paris, the Grand Morin Valley, the ports of the Basque coast, Biarritz, and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. He regularly stays in Ascain, where he decorates the Hôtel de la Rhune with large murals depicting the surrounding nature, tamarisks, the sea, and rocks. His style, deeply influenced by Impressionism, is characterized by particular attention to light effects and atmospheric variations.
Alexandre Altmann exhibits his works in numerous Parisian galleries and participates in traveling exhibitions, including in Russia. He also receives institutional recognition: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Luxembourg Palace acquire some of his paintings. In 1927, he is awarded the Légion d’Honneur and donates 27 works to the town of Crécy-en-Brie, which names a street in his honor.
He is the father of the singer Tohama (Nadia Altmann) and the grandfather of the painter and architect Gérard Altmann.
Alexandre Altmann passes away in September 1932 in Crécy-en-Brie. He is buried with religious rites at Saint-Georges Church and laid to rest in the town’s old cemetery. His funeral oration is delivered by Henri Naret, the mayor of Crécy-en-Brie.
Today, his works are part of numerous public collections, notably the Centre Pompidou and the Musée du Luxembourg, as well as private collections in France and abroad.