An image display apparatus includes: a panel (16a) that includes a plurality of picture elements that change transmittance of light according to picture levels; a detection unit (12) that detects, in one-image portions of the panel (16a), picture levels for each of the plurality of picture elements from picture signals that indicate the picture levels of each picture element; and a processor (18) that, based on the picture levels of one-image portions that were detected by the detection unit (12), adjusts the transmittance of light of the plurality of picture elements such that the image realized by the picture signal is brighter when a value that corresponds to brightness is greater than a predetermined threshold value.