David Scott Evans was born in Boston, Indiana to David S. and Nancy A. (Davenport) Evans. His father was a physician. He attended Miami University's preparatory school in the 1860s, studying with professor Adrian Beaugureau at Miami and later in Cincinnati. In 1873, he became head of the art department at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, teaching there until 1875. Evans studied with Adolphe William Bouguereau in Paris from 1877 to 1878, returned to Ohio and taught at the Cleveland Academy of Art from 1882 to 1887, and moved to New York City in 1887. Evans and his three daughters died in July 1898, when the Paris-bound steamer La Bourgogne was rammed by another vessel. His wife was not with them and later remarried. Known primarily for genre subjects, years after his death a number of trompe l'oeil still lifes were attributed to him which bear the names "David Scott," "S. S. David," and "Stanley S. David." While there is still some question regarding the attributions--they are based upon the strong similarity of two paintings--there has yet to be found an artist named "David" active at the right time and place and Evans is known to have signed his work as "D. Scott Evans" and later "De Scott Evans."