Van Gogh 1889 self-portrait sells for $71 million in N.Y.

Buyers laughed and gasped and a man on the edge of his seat cheered as Vincent van Gogh's "Portrait of the Artist Without Beard" sold at auction for more than $71 million.

The 1889 self-portrait, believed to be the last self-portrait made by the troubled artist, brought the second-highest price ever paid for a work by van Gogh and the third highest price ever achieved at auction - and was triple the expected price."It was a ringing endorsement of the strength of the art market this evening," Christopher Burge, chairman of Christie's North and South America, said after Thursday's sale.

Van Gogh's "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" was sold by Christie's in 1990 for $82.5 million.

"It's an absolutely stunning painting," said Andree Corroon, a spokeswoman for Christie's. "He was very upset that he couldn't make it back for (his mother's) 70th birthday, so he painted this painting to show her that he was in good health, which he wasn't. And he shaved his beard off to make himself look younger."

The year after the self-portrait was painted, van Gogh committed suicide. He was 37.