2. In Alternating Type lineage paintings the beginning of the lineage starts with a central figure in the top row of the top register, often Vajradhara or Shakyamuni Buddha and then alternates with the first teacher to the viewer's left and then the second teacher to the right and again to the left - alternating horizontally and then vertically descending down the left and right registers. This Alternating Type is more commonly found with paintings after the 15th century up to the present. The majority of, but not all, Refuge Field compositions are an example of alternating lineage. The Alternating Type format is found in both register composition paintings and floating figure composition paintings.
