An optical apparatus (200A, 200C, 200E) for a near-eye display, comprising: a microdisplay (101, 201) to emit image light; one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) positioned to receive the image light from the microdisplay (101, 201), wherein the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) have a combined optical power to form a curved intermediate image along a curved image plane of the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205); and a freeform combiner (109, 209) having an eyeward side and an external side, wherein the eyeward side is positioned to receive the image light from the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) and reflects the image light, and wherein the curved image plane is disposed between the freeform combiner (109, 209) and the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205), wherein the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) include: a first field lens (103, 203) with a first spherical surface and a freeform surface opposite the first spherical surface; and a second field lens (105, 205) with a second spherical surface and a toroidal surface opposite the second spherical surface, and wherein the first field lens (103, 203) is optically disposed between the second field lens (105, 205) and the microdisplay (101, 201), and the second field lens (105, 205) is optically disposed between the first field lens (103, 203) and the freeform combiner (109, 209). a microdisplay (101, 201) to emit image light; one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) positioned to receive the image light from the microdisplay (101, 201), wherein the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) have a combined optical power to form a curved intermediate image along a curved image plane of the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205); and a freeform combiner (109, 209) having an eyeward side and an external side, wherein the eyeward side is positioned to receive the image light from the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) and reflects the image light, and wherein the curved image plane is disposed between the freeform combiner (109, 209) and the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205), wherein the one or more field lenses (103, 105, 203, 205) include: a first field lens (103, 203) with a first spherical surface and a freeform surface opposite the first spherical surface; and a second field lens (105, 205) with a second spherical surface and a toroidal surface opposite the second spherical surface, and wherein the first field lens (103, 203) is optically disposed between the second field lens (105, 205) and the microdisplay (101, 201), and the second field lens (105, 205) is optically disposed between the first field lens (103, 203) and the freeform combiner (109, 209). a first field lens (103, 203) with a first spherical surface and a freeform surface opposite the first spherical surface; and a second field lens (105, 205) with a second spherical surface and a toroidal surface opposite the second spherical surface, and wherein the first field lens (103, 203) is optically disposed between the second field lens (105, 205) and the microdisplay (101, 201), and the second field lens (105, 205) is optically disposed between the first field lens (103, 203) and the freeform combiner (109, 209).