A
projector includes a first
image formation unit including a first color
separation system having a first dichroic mirror that separates the light containing first to third color light components from an illuminator into a
light beam containing one of the three color light components and a
light beam containing the other two color light components and a second dichroic mirror that separates the
light beam that has been separated by the first dichroic mirror and contains the other two color light components, first to third
light modulation elements that modulate the first to third color light beams that have been separated by the first color
separation system, and a first color combining
system that combines image light beams corresponding to the first to third color light beams that have been modulated by the first to third
light modulation elements; a second
image formation unit including a second color
separation system having a third dichroic mirror that separates the light containing the first to third color light components from the illuminator into a light beam containing one of the three color light components and a light beam containing the other two color light components and a fourth dichroic mirror that separates the light beam that has been separated by the third dichroic mirror and contains the other two color light components, fourth to sixth
light modulation elements that modulate the first to third color light beams that have been separated by the second color separation
system, and a second color combining
system that combines image light beams corresponding to the first to third color light beams that have been modulated by the fourth to sixth light modulation elements; a polarization combining system that combines the image light beam outputted from the first
image formation unit and the image light beam outputted from the second image formation unit; and a
projection system that projects the image light beam that has been combined in the polarization combining system. For each of two color light beams among the first to third color light beams, the image light beams corresponding to the same color light beams outputted from the first and second image formation units are projected in such a way that the image light beams are reversed from each other in the right-
left direction on a projection surface.