An image display device including a field emission element capable of preventing diffusion of electrons to be impinged on a display section. An anode substrate is provided thereon with a phosphor-deposited display section and a cathode substrate is provided thereon with field emission elements including cathode conductors, emitter electrodes and gate electrodes. The cathode conductors and gate electrodes are formed into a stripe-like shape and arranged so as to intersect each other to form a matrix. A stripe-like diffusion prevention electrode is arranged between each adjacent two of the gate electrodes. The emitter electrodes selected by the gate electrodes and cathode conductors emit electrons. The diffusion prevention electrodes on both sides of each of the gate electrodes selected are applied thereto a voltage lower than a voltage of the gate electrodes, so that the electrons may be impinged on the display section required without diffusion, to thereby permit picture cells required to emit light.