To improve the contrast of an image display apparatus while suppressing reduction in the brightness thereof.

The image display apparatus includes: an image display element configured to display an image by controlling a polarization state of a polarized light beam; an illumination optical system configured to guide the polarized light beam to the image display element; a polarizing beam splitter including a polarizing separation film, which is disposed between the illumination optical system and the image display element and which selectively splits incident light by reflecting S-polarized light and transmitting P-polarized light therethrough; and a mounting part to which is mounted an projection optical system configured to project an image displayed by the image display element onto a projection plane. In a cross-section parallel to the normal of the polarizing separation film and the normal of the image display element, the angle between the optical path of light and the polarizing separation film is <45°, wherein the light is ejected from the center of the image display element and made incident on an intersection between an optical plane closest to the image display element in the projection optical system and the optical axis of the projection optical system.