Telmányi was the daughter of the world famous Danish composer Carl Nielsen. She was educated at the Royal Art Academy in 1910 where she was a pupil of Rostrup Bøyesen. A year later she was a private pupil of Tycho Jessen in 1911. In 1926, Telmányi travelled to Paris where she was educated at The Modern Academy, where she was a pupil of the master painters Othon Friesz and Fernand Leger. Telmányi was very interested in the different characters in people and concentrated on working on portraits or interiors. Telmányi often used her fellow artists friends as models like the Swedish artist Otto Skøld and the Danish actress Bodil Ipsen. Telmányi traveled all around Denmark to paint her friends and later also travelled and worked in France, Italy, England and Germany. Telmányi works are known for their great details and impressionistic brush strokes and Telmányi had a great gift for capturing the models personality and charisma.
Exhibitions:
The Artists Fall Exhibition: 1917-1933.
Charlottenborg: 1917-1982
Expo. le Club Internat. Féminin, Mus. d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris 1958
The Artists Union: 1930-1976
Fyn Museum of Fine Art: 1968
Møstings Hus: 1983
Aarhus Museum of Fine Art: 1988
Øbro Art Gallery 