Harry Guttman was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1933. He attended Jewish schools throughout his youth and graduated high school in 1948. He continued his education at Art Licuem in Bucharest and graduated in 1954. Guttman graduated with distinction from the Romanian Academy of Fine Art in 1960, having received tutoring under some of Romanian's premier artists, such as Victor Brauner, Jacques Herold, Marcel Unanco, Israti and Dumitresco.