During the early modern period in Europe, views of children began to change. Children came to be seen as distinct beings who were innocent and in need of protection and guidance. John Locke was influential in developing the idea that children's minds were blank slates to be shaped by education and experience. During this time, the rise of the middle class also led to new ideas about properly raising children and ensuring their spiritual and moral development. By the 18th century, Enlightenment thinkers like Rousseau further developed the concept of childhood as a time of innocence that should be protected before adulthood. Artists like Reynolds captured these new attitudes towards seeing children as innocent in their portraits of children from this era.