Desperation and defiance were on display at the Royal Academy of Arts yesterday as members of the public turned up with their paintings and prints in the hope of finding recognition at this year’s Summer Exhibition.

Artists, both professional and amateur, queued from 8am for the first day of submissions to the world’s largest open art show, now in its 240th year.

One after another arrived clutching packages of every conceivable size and shape. Some staggered under the sheer weight of the object and resembled lines of ants carrying enormous leaves to their nests as they walked up the backstreets of Piccadilly.

Each offering was lovingly unwrapped from layers of bubble-wrap and handed over to a human chain of art handlers - only to be stacked up alongside thousands of others just like it in a backroom.

The Summer Exhibition has been held every year since 1769, uninterrupted even by war, showcasing work by unknown and emerging artists alongside that of more established names.

More than 11,000 people have applied to enter this year, but no more than ten per cent will see their work on the walls of this hallowed institution.

For many, it is not their first time. They have tried before, only to face rejection - a letter asking them to pick up their artwork.

They returned again yesterday, their enthusiasm undimmed. After all, artists have traditionally suffered for their art and nothing could stop these hopefuls from trying again.

There was also the rather comforting thought that even Monet, Constable and Wyndham Lewis, it is thought, are among rejects from the Summer Exhibition.

Some of the works delivered yesterday were slight at best, an eyesore at worst. But the beauty of contemporary art today is that there is no such thing as bad art.

They came from all walks of life and professions yesterday. Some were trained artists, others were self-taught. One was a shop assistant. Another a businessman.

After three earlier attempts, Holly Frean, a professional artist from London, was hoping to be fourth-time lucky this time. Acceptance into the Summer Exhibition carried “prestige”, she said, adding: “Everyone wants to be accepted to something. I enter the BP Portrait, the John Moores, the Mostyn Open. You’ve just got to keep trying and eventually you get something.”

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