Provided is an image display device including an image display cell and a polarizing plate placed on a viewer side of the image display cell. The first polarizing plate includes a polarizer and a first protective film. The first protective film is placed on a viewer-side principal surface of the polarizer and satisfies following relations: (i) 0 nm≦Re1≦3000 nm; (ii) Nz1≧7; and (iii) Rth1>2500 nm. Re1, Rth1 and Nz1 are defined by following equations: Re1=(nx1−ny1)d1; Rth1=(nx1−nz1)d1; and Nz1=Rth1/Re1, wherein d1 represents a thickness of the first protective film, nx1 represents a refractive index in a direction of an in-plane slow axis of the protective film, ny1 represents a refractive index in a direction of an in-plane fast axis of the protective film, and nz1 represents a refractive index in a direction of the thickness of the protective film.