To provide an image display apparatus by which image display of a high dynamic range, high gradation and a wide color range is made possible.

The image display apparatus (liquid crystal display apparatus 1) includes an optical modulation element (liquid crystal display element 4) having a plurality of sub pixels, an illuminator (backlight 5) having a plurality of light sources, a light source control value setting part (backlight control value determining part 7) setting a control value of each light source according to a gradation of each sub pixel, an optical sensor 6 provided in a prescribed divided region of the optical modulation element and detecting color light with which the sub pixel is irradiated, an illumination detecting part (backlight illumination detecting part 10) detecting illumination of each color light in the prescribed divided region from the detection result of the optical sensor and a gradient control part (LCD pixel control value determining part 11) correcting the gradation of each sub pixel from the detection result of the illumination detecting part and controlling the optical modulation element by the corrected gradient.