Aspects of the invention can provide a projector including a illumination system, an electro-optic modulator, and a projection system. The illumination system can include device that emits a substantially parallel illumination light beam to the side of an illuminated region, a first lens array that has plural small lenses for dividing the illumination light beam into a plurality of partial light beams, a second lens array that has plural small lenses corresponding to the plural small lenses of the first lens array, a polarization conversion element for converting into polarized light an unpolarized light included in the illumination light beam emerging from the second lens array, and a superposition lens for superposing the partial light beams on the illuminated region. The electro-optic modulator can modulate the illumination light beam in response to image information. The projection system can project the illumination light beam modulated by the electro-optic modulator.