The 'Y Tho' meme features a close-up, distorted crop of a portrait of Pope Leo X, originally painted by Raphael, though it is often mistakenly attributed to the Colombian artist Fernando Botero due to its voluminous, rounded style. The image first gained traction on the imageboard 4chan in late 2011 before spreading to Reddit and Tumblr. It depicts a face with a blank yet intensely questioning expression, accompanied by the slang shorthand for 'why though?' It is the ultimate digital reaction for situations that are unnecessary, nonsensical, or overly complicated, serving as a minimalist way to challenge the logic of a situation with deadpan humor.